Pelin C. Volkan, Associate Professor
The primary intellectual focus of our lab centers on unraveling the molecular and circuit mechanisms through which social experiences mold the brains and responses of organisms. To investigate these phenomena, we employ the fruit fly nervous system as a model and take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates genetic, behavioral, circuit-mapping, and systems-level molecular tools. Recent advancements in neurogenetics and neuro-visualization techniques in Drosophila melanogaster, a model system with a rich history in behavioral and neurogenetic research, provide us with unique and unprecedented advantages for exploring these questions. Within the realm of fruit flies, several noteworthy observations emerge: 1) Social isolation exerts significant effects on the Drosophila brain and behaviors, 2) well-established connections exist between genes, neural circuits, and stereotyped social behaviors, 3) the utilization of gene editing and neuronal circuit mapping methods is unparalleled, and 4) these resources are further enriched by existing and upcoming connectome data. Leveraging this comprehensive toolset, our overarching objective is to identify genes regulated by social isolation, determine their expression and function in individual neurons and circuits in the brain, and ascertain how variations in these processes influence both brain function and behavioral responses to isolation.
Questions we are interested in:
1- How does social experience and pheromone circuit activity modulate gene expression in the nervous system?
2- How does social experience and pheromone circuit activity modulate circuit structure and function?
3- How does social experience and pheromone circuit activity modulate behaviors like locomotion, feeding, courtship and aggression?
4- How does social experience and pheromone circuit activity modulate physiology like metabolism, circulatory system and immunity?
5- What makes individuals more sensitive or resilient to the effects of social experience?
Education:
Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2003
Postdoctoral Research, HHMI at UCLA, 2009
M.S., Bogazici University (Turkey), 1997
B.S., Bogazici University (Turkey), 1995
Office Location: 4313 French Family Science Center, Durham, NC 27708
Office Phone: +1 919 684 1150
Email Address: pelin.volkan@duke.edu
Web Page: https://sites.duke.edu/volkanlab/
Specialties:
Developmental Biology
Genetics
Cell and Molecular Biology
Neuroscience
Research Categories: Regulation of gene expression, circuit function, and organismal responses
Current projects: Social Modulation of gene expression, behavior, motivational states, brain structure and physiology
Research Description: The primary intellectual focus of our lab centers on unraveling the molecular and circuit mechanisms through which social experiences mold the brains and responses of organisms. To investigate these phenomena, we employ the fruit fly nervous system as a model and take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates genetic, behavioral, circuit-mapping, and systems-level molecular tools. Recent advancements in neurogenetics and neuro-visualization techniques in Drosophila melanogaster, a model system with a rich history in behavioral and neurogenetic research, provide us with unique and unprecedented advantages for exploring these questions. Within the realm of fruit flies, several noteworthy observations emerge: 1) Social isolation exerts significant effects on the Drosophila brain and behaviors, 2) well-established connections exist between genes, neural circuits, and stereotyped social behaviors, 3) the utilization of gene editing and neuronal circuit mapping methods is unparalleled, and 4) these resources are further enriched by existing and upcoming connectome data. Leveraging this comprehensive toolset, our overarching objective is to identify genes regulated by social isolation, determine their expression and function in individual neurons and circuits in the brain, and ascertain how variations in these processes influence both brain function and behavioral responses to isolation. In our earlier work, we identified developmental gene regulatory programs within pheromone-responsive neuron classes and connected pheromone receptor signaling to the regulation of genes linked to behavioral function. In recent years, our research has delved into understanding the effects of social experiences on the brain and behaviors, discerning how these responses vary among individuals and strains of the same species. We've made significant strides in comprehending socially induced chromatin and transcriptional changes in both peripheral and central neural circuits. Furthermore, we have causally linked these changes to the modulation of neural activity and organismal behaviors. In a new direction for our lab, during the past year, we've uncovered noteworthy alterations in brain stress and immune responses associated with social isolation. Consequently, we are investigating the impact of social isolation on gene expression, stress responses, and brain immunity, aiming to establish their connection to the onset, progression, and severity of neurodegenerative diseases. In simpler terms, our studies aim to unravel the mechanisms through which social experiences modify transcriptional programs, guiding adaptive changes in brain structure and function that underlie behavioral and physiological responses to social isolation.
Areas of Interest:
Neuroscience
Recent Publications (More Publications) (search)
- Stewart, RK; Nguyen, P; Laederach, A; Volkan, PC; Sawyer, JK; Fox, DT, Orb2 enables rare-codon-enriched mRNA expression during Drosophila neuron differentiation. (July, 2023) [doi] .
- Deanhardt, B; Duan, Q; Du, C; Soeder, C; Morlote, A; Garg, D; Saha, A; Jones, CD; Volkan, PC, Social experience and pheromone receptor activity reprogram gene expression in sensory neurons., G3 (Bethesda, Md.), vol. 13 no. 6 (June, 2023), pp. jkad072 [doi] [abs].
- Duan, Q; Estrella, R; Carson, A; Chen, Y; Volkan, PC, The effect of Drosophila attP40 background on the glomerular organization of Or47b olfactory receptor neurons., G3 (Bethesda, Md.), vol. 13 no. 4 (April, 2023), pp. jkad022 [doi] [abs].
- Khanh M. Vien, Qichen Duan, Chun Yeung, Pelin C. Volkan, Conserved atypical cadherin, Fat2, regulates axon terminal organization in the developing Drosophila olfactory sensory neurons, Biorxiv (Preprint, 2023) .
- Volkan, PC; Deanhardt, B; Zhao, S; Du, C; Saha, A; Soeder, C; Jones, C, Chromatin Based Reprogramming of fru and dsx in Courtship Circuits with Social Experience and Pheromone Signaling, CHEMICAL SENSES, vol. 46 (January, 2021) .