Zoe Donaldson
Graduate Student
zdonald@emory.edu
I am interested in the role of genetic diversity in determining individual and species differences in behavior. My thesis research combines the unique strengths of our non-traditional animal model with mouse genetics to test the hypothesis that non-coding differences upstream of the vasopressin receptor 1a gene regulate the differential central expression of the receptor and social behavior across monogamous and polygamous vole species. I am generating knock-in mice, in which the sequence upstream of the mouse vasopressin receptor 1a gene is replaced with the corresponding monogamous or polygamous vole sequences to test whether the receptor distribution and behavior of these mice mimics that of their vole-sequence donor. In order to translate this work, I am also investigating the evolution of the primate vasopressin receptor 1a 5' flanking region. These projects will expand our understanding of how vasopressin receptor 1a mediates social behavior and will directly demonstrate whether differences in non-coding DNA elements can drive the evolution of central gene expression and behavior.
