SeminAr

Title:
The chemistry between us: the science of love and implications for new treatments for autism

Abstract:
Social relationships are critical for mental and physical health and early-life social experiences can have a life-long impact on the ability for form relationships. Dr. Young will discuss how the chemistry in our brain mediate social bonding as well as the consequences of loss of a loved one. Furthermore, Dr. Young will show remarkable parallels between his studies in voles and recent studies in humans that suggest that brain mechanisms involved in how we interact with our loved ones are highly conserved from rodent to man. These observations have important implications for designing new treatments for psychiatric disorders characterized by disruptions in social relationships, including autism.

Narrative Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Larry J. Young, PhD is Director of the Center for Translational Social Neuroscience and William P. Timmie Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Dr. Young received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at the University of Georgia and earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Zoology at the University of Texas in Austin. Dr. Young has published over 140 peer reviewed publication, including in top tier journals such as Science, Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Nature Genetics and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.
Dr. Young’s research seeks to understand how the brain functions to regulate social relationships. His research has revealed that brain chemicals such as oxytocin and vasopressin regulate the neural processing of social information and promote the formation of social bonds by acting in specific neural pathways. By understanding how the chemistry of the brain promotes the formation of social relationships, Dr. Young hopes to develop novel treatments for the social deficits in psychiatric disorders such as autism.
Young’s new book, The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction (2012) explores the latest discoveries of how brain chemistry influences all aspects of our relationships with others.