How are male and female brains different?

Research area

 |  sex differences

Keywords

 |  SRY, brain differences, sex differences

Suitability

 |  PhD/Doctorate, Honours, Masters

Contact supervisors at any time

Professor Vincent Harley
e: vincent.harley@hudson.org.au

Project description

Male and female brains differ in anatomy and chemistry. The prevailing dogma that estrogen is the key factor involved in brain sex differentiation was challenged by our discovery of a direct role in the brain for the Y chromosome gene, SRY, in the control of voluntary movement, only in males. This project seeks to identify the target genes that the SRY transcription factor controls in the brain. Approaches include cell and molecular biology techniques (RNAseq, ChIPseq) and rodent dissection of the substantia nigra.