Essentials: The Biology of Aggression, Mating & Arousal | Dr. David Anderson

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. David Anderson, PhD, a professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). We discuss the brain circuits that underlie how emotions emerge and shape behaviors, including the neural control of fear, aggression and pain. We also explore how hormones and neuromodulators influence these emotional states, and why understanding these hidden internal processes is essential for improving future mental health treatments. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/blBjp0e Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S&si=a1_sA7rUT-fE0OM5 Huberman Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Dr. David Anderson Caltech academic profile: https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu/people/professor-david-j-anderson The Nature of the Beast (book): https://amzn.to/3qsrdOH Lab website: https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=C88XVPQAAAAJ Timestamps 00:00:00 David Anderson 00:00:20 Emotions vs States 00:01:53 Emotion Qualities: Persistence & Generalization 00:04:04 Aggression 00:06:39 Evolution of Fear & Aggression, Offensive vs Defensive Aggression 00:08:55 Homeostatic Behaviors & Hydraulic Pressure 00:11:56 Testosterone, Estrogen & Aggression 00:13:49 Female vs Male Aggression 00:15:46 Mating Behavior & Aggression; Sexual Violence 00:19:21 Periaqueductal Gray, Pain Control & Fighting 00:23:36 Tachykinin, Pain, Social Isolation & Aggression 00:28:08 Emotions & Somatic Feeling; Vagus Nerve 00:32:48 Acknowledgements & Future Direction Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer