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Dario Maestripieri, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Comparative Human Development
Committee on Evolutionary Biology
Committee on Neurobiology

Lab web page
Neurobiology of social behavior.

My research interests focus on the neuroendocrine and neurobiological regulation of social behavior in animals and humans. I am generally interested in brain-behavior and hormone-behavior relationships in the context of variation in behavior among individuals, during development, and in relation to changes in reproductive state. My research focuses on motivated behaviors such as aggression, affiliation, mating, and parenting.  My current animal research involves nonhuman primates, especially rhesus macaques.

References

D. Maestripieri, W. Saltzman. Neurobiology of social behavior. In: Primate Neuroethology (ed. by M. Platt & A. Ghazanfar). Oxford: Oxford University Press, in press.

D. Maestripieri. The role of the brain serotonergic system in the origin and transmission of adaptive and maladaptive variations in maternal behavior in rhesus macaques. In: Neurobiology of the Parental Brain (ed. by R. Bridges).
Amsterdam: Elsevier, in press.

M. M. Sanchez, O. Alagbe, J. C. Felger, J. Zhang, A. E. Graff, A. P. Grand, D. Maestripieri, A. H. Miller.
 Activated p38 MAPK is associated with decreased CSF 5-HIAA and  increased maternal rejection during infancy in young adult rhesus monkeys.
 Molecular Psychiatry, in press.

D. Maestripieri, J. D. Higley, S. G. Lindell, T. K. Newman, K. McCormack, M. M.Sanchez. (2006). Early maternal rejection affects the development of monoaminergic systems and adult abusive parenting in rhesus macaques.
Behavioral Neuroscience, 120: 1017-1024.

D. Maestripieri, K. McCormack, S. G. Lindell, J. D. Higley, M. M. Sanchez. (2006). Influence of parenting style on the offspring's behavior and CSF monoamine metabolite levels in crossfostered and noncrossfostered female rhesus macaques. Behavioural Brain Research, 175: 90-95.

 D. Maestripieri. (2005). Early experience affects the intergenerational transmission of infant abuse in rhesus monkeys. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A., 102: 9726-9729.

 D. Maestripieri. (2005). Effects of early experience on female behavioural and reproductive development in rhesus macaques. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 272: 1243-1248.

D. Maestripieri, S. G. Lindell, A. Ayala, P. W. Gold, J. D. Higley (2005). Neurobiological characteristics of rhesus macaque abusive mothers and their relation to social and maternal behavior. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 29: 51-57.

J. R. Roney, S. V. Mahler, D. Maestripieri (2003). Behavioral and hormonal responses of men to brief interactions with women. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24: 365-375.

F. C. Graves, K. Wallen, D. Maestripieri. (2002).  Opioids and attachment in rhesus macaque abusive mothers.  Behavioral Neuroscience, 116: 489-493.

D. Maestripieri. (2002). Biological bases of maternal attachment. In: Foundations in Social Neuroscience. Ed. By J. T. Cacioppo, G. G. Berntson, R. Adolphs, C. S. Carter, R. J. Davidson, M. K. McClintock, B. S. McEwen, M. J. Meaney, D. L. Schacter, E. M. Sternberg, S. J. Suomi, S. E. Taylor. MIT Press, pp. 749-753.

S. Cabib, F. R. D’Amato, S. Puglisi-Allegra, D. Maestripieri. (2000). Behavioral and mesocorticolimbic dopamine responses to non aggressive social interactions depend on previous social experiences and on the opponent's sex. Behavioural Brain Research, 112: 13-22.

D. Maestripieri, N. L. Megna. (2000). Hormones and behavior in abusive and nonabusive rhesus macaque mothers. 1: Social interactions during late pregnancy and early lactation. Physiology & Behavior, 71: 35-42.

D. Maestripieri, J. L. Zehr. (1998). Maternal responsiveness increases during pregnancy and after estrogen treatment in macaques. Hormones and Behavior, 34: 223-230.

J. L. Zehr, D. Maestripieri, K. Wallen (1998). Estrogen increases female sexual initiation independent of male responsiveness in rhesus monkeys. Hormones and Behavior, 33: 95-103.

K. Wallen, D. Maestripieri, D.R. Mann (1995). Effects of neonatal testicular suppression with a GnRH antagonist on social behavior in group-living juvenile rhesus monkeys. Hormones and Behavior, 29: 322-337.

D. Maestripieri, F.L. Martel, C.M. Nevison, M.J.A. Simpson, E.B. Keverne. (1992). Anxiety in rhesus monkey infants in relation to interactions with their mother and other social companions. Developmental Psychobiology, 24: 571-581.

S. Bigi, D. Maestripieri, L. Aloe, E. Alleva. (1992). NGF decreases isolation-induced aggressive behavior, while increasing adrenal volume, in adult male mice. Physiology & Behavior, 51: 337-343.

D. Maestripieri, A. Badiani, S. Puglisi-Allegra. (1991). Prepartal chronic stress increases anxiety and decreases aggression in lactating female mice. Behavioral Neuroscience, 105: 663-668.

 D. Maestripieri, R. De Simone, L. Aloe, E. Alleva. (1990). Social status and nerve growth factor serum levels after agonistic encounters in mice.  Physiology & Behavior, 47: 161-164.

Last updated 07/13/07