In this episode, Maria Padron (Haverford ’19) talks about critical periods for hormone action during the development of the brain. As part of this, she discusses a study showing that gonadal hormones masculinize and defeminize reproductive behaviors during puberty in male Syrian hamsters (Schulz et al., 2004, Hormones and Behavior). Can this help us understand … Continue reading Episode 11: XOXO, Gossip Girl
In this episode, Hassan Ahamed (Haverford ’19) leaves the brain to dive into the spinal cord. As part of this, Hassan tells us about a spinal nucleus called the bulbocavernosus, a part of spinal cord that is larger in males than in females and plays an important role in male sexual reflexes. Tune in to … Continue reading Episode 12: Bet You Can’t say “Bulbocavernosus” Five Times Fast!
In this episode, Leily Behbehani (Haverford ’21) follows up on last week’s episode about the neurobiology of ejaculation, but this time focuses on neurochemistry in humans. In particular, she talks about a study that measured levels of hormones and neurotransmitters in blood samples taken from men at various time points during sexual arousal and ejaculation … Continue reading Episode 13: All You Need is Love (and Vasopressin)
In this episode, Betty Xu (Bryn Mawr ’20) talks about what comes AFTER sex for many organisms: offspring! As part of this, she tells us about a study that examined brain activation in mother mice while they were nursing their pups (Oláh et al., 2017, Brain Structure and Function). What can we learn from this … Continue reading Episode 14: And Baby Makes Three…Or Ten, If You’re a Mouse!