The mechanics of physical attraction

Lots of great speakers on campus during the last week of October. I'll talk about dance choreographer Liz Lerman next week but the deparment of psychology will also bring to campus a neuroscientist whose work identifies the neural and genetic mechanisms that underlie physical attraction, love and family bonds. The lecture, on Nov. 2 at 12:20 p.m. in room 148 of the Miller Learning Center, is free and the public invited to attend.

Larry Young is the author of "The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction" (Current, 2012). At Emory University, he is the William P. Timmie Professor in the department of psychiatry and director of the Center for Translational Social Neuroscience.

Young's work with prairie voles, which form monogamous, lifetime pair bonds, has highlighted the roles of the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin in regulating social behavior. His lab is now applying the basic understanding that his prairie vole research has revealed to identify drugs to treat human conditions associated with impaired social cognition, such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. His talk at UGA, titled "The Chemistry Between Us: From Genes and Brains to Monogamy and Autism Therapies," will give an overview of his findings and discuss future directions for research.

The life of the mind is all around you. Engage it.