Optogenetic is a technique that combines optics and genetics to control specific neurons.
This technique usually uses adenoviruses that encode photosensitive protein. The …

Diverse cognitive functions in many vertebrate species are influenced by local conversion of
androgens to 17β-estradiol (E2) by aromatase. This enzyme is highly expressed in various …

This review explores the role of aromatase in the brain as illuminated by a set of conserved
network-level connections identified in several vertebrate taxa. Aromatase-expressing …

Songbirds have emerged as exceptional research subjects for helping us appreciate and
understand estrogen synthesis and function in brain. In the context of recognizing the …

Animals continually assess their environment for cues associated with threats, competitors,
allies, mates or prey, and experience is crucial for those associations. The auditory cortex is …

Abstract Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Steroid hormones, such as
estrogens, were once thought to be exclusively synthesized in the ovaries and enact …

How does a naive, young animal decide from which adults to learn behavior? Obligate
brood parasitic birds, including brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), face a particular …

Sensory neurons parse millisecond-variant sound streams like birdsong and speech with
exquisite precision. The auditory pallial cortex of vocal learners like humans and songbirds …

In this mini-review, we summarize the brain distribution of aromatase, the enzyme catalyzing
the synthesis of estrogens from androgens, and the mechanisms responsible for regulating …

Abstract Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Human infants are the most
proficient of the few vocal learner species. Sharing similar principles in terms of the …