Research Focus
Aaryn Mustoe, Ph.D., is a behavioral endocrinologist who studies stress, social behavior and development in marmosets.
Dr. Mustoe seeks to understand how social relationships influence health and wellbeing, and identify potential interventions that can mitigate negative consequences of poor relationships and surroundings. Dr. Mustoe holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a B.S. in biology and psychology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He joined Texas Biomed in 2022.
Inside the Lab
Disruption of social relationships is among the biggest risk factors for poor health, negative wellbeing and reduced longevity. Marmosets live in family units with strong attachments between partners that are similar to human social relationships, and they are an ideal model for understanding how social environment influences neurodevelopment, aging and health.
Dr. Mustoe’s long-term goal is to understand how social relationships mediate vulnerabilities and resilience to stress by evaluating the role of important hormones such as oxytocin, cortisol and sex steroids; and behavior such as the maintenance of bonds between partners, aggression and social play. Understanding these features will facilitate the development of interventions that mitigate the negative consequences associated with poor social relationships and environments.
Dr. Mustoe incorporates both a “womb-to-tomb” and a “pharmacology-to-ecology” perspective for understanding social development across the lifespan.
Main Technologies And Methods Used
- Social and cognitive behavioral testing
- Enzyme and radioimmunoassays
- Urinary, fecal and hair hormone extractions
- In-vivo pharmacological interventions
- Intracellular signaling and cell membrane assays
- Whole cell receptor binding assays
- Neuroimaging