BIO 21Q: Stress and the Social Brain

Course Description

This introductory seminar explores how the brain responds to social experiences and how stress can influence them. Students will learn how social interactions affect activity in key stress-related brain regions and how hormones like cortisol and oxytocin link the social environment to the body's stress response. Topics include the neurobiology of stress, how social relationships buffer stress, brain mechanisms behind empathy and emotional regulation, the influence of early life experiences on stress sensitivity, and how chronic stress can alter brain function and shape social behavior.