Kent State faculty member to study link between oxytocin and aggressive behavior

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Photo by CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Heather Caldwell

As part of a project funded by a $400,000 National Science Foundation grant, a Kent State faculty member is researching how a certain hormone during the early years of brain development can affect aggressive behavior later in life.

Heather Caldwell, an associate professor of biological sciences, has long been interested in how brain hormones affect behavior, particularly the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin. Vasopressin has long been linked to aggression, though evidence is building that oxytocin also plays a role.

Caldwell’s hypothesis is that exposure to oxytocin while in the womb is important for the development of normal aggressive behavior in adulthood, according to a Kent State news release. If the brain is not exposed to oxytocin, the result may be altered aggressive behavior in adulthood. At present, she’s studying this behavior in mice.

According to the news release, the study will be the first of its kind.

“If we understand the basics, it may provide insights into other species, including humans,” she said in the release.