I have been interested in the nest-building behavior and the underlying brain functions in mice. Nest building is an instinctive behavior that animals and insects can do without learning how to build a nest. Even humans can arrange their dwellings. It is a very important behavior for animals and insects to build nests in various situations such as sleep, nurturing, temperature regulation, defense from enemies, and courtship.
I am also interested in how motivation is restored from a depressed state. When people are stressed, they can regain their motivation even if they are depressed. If this recovery mechanism can be elucidated, it may be possible to prevent the onset of depression. Furthermore, symptoms of depression vary from person to person, and there are patients for whom existing drugs are ineffective. Therefore, it is necessary to develop drugs with a different type of mechanism from existing drugs.
Recently, we discovered that deficit of nest-building behavior in mice after social defeat stress.