本实验室主要兴趣在于：社会行为的分子和细胞机理。

社会行为是动物针对同种属动物的行为，其范围从动物的相互作用到人类的社会交往、政治、战争。

本实验室通过多学科交叉，用分子生物学、遗传学、神经生物学、心理学、化学分析、现代成像和电生理等综合途径，研究重要和基本社会行为。

主要研究果蝇、小鼠和人。

在果蝇和小鼠，目前集中研究争斗、求偶、和母性行为。用可定量的实验模型，检测行为的模式和变化。用分子生物学和遗传学方法，在一定空间和时间规范基因的活性（双规基因）、在特定时间和区域控制神经活动（双规神经细胞），以确立脑中参与特定行为的区域、神经细胞和分子，希望理解执行特定行为需要的分子和神经通路。

在动物中，可以通过分析基因突变后的行为表型，筛选和找到调控行为的分子。在人类，通过全基因组分析，发现人群中与社会行为和认知相关的基因、以及基因与环境的相互作用。

We are interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of social behaviors.

Social behaviors are those initiated by one animal directed towards another animal of the same species, ranging from social interactions in animals to social relationships, politics and war in humans.

We use multidisciplinary approaches, integrating molecular biology, genetics, neurobiology, chemistry, modern imaging and electrophysiology, to study important and basic social behaviors.

Our models are Drosophila, mice and humans。

In flies and mice, we currently focus on aggression, courtship and maternal behaviors. We use quantifiable models and assays to analyze behaviors and their changes. Through molecular biology and genetics, we manipulate the activities of genes at specific time and locations, or the activity of neurons at specific time and locations, to determine the roles of molecules，neurons and brain regions, hoping to understand the molecules and circuitry required for specific behaviors.

1.    Liu W, Liang X, Gong J, Yang Z, Zhang YH, Zhang JX and Rao Y. Social regulation of aggression by pheromonal activation of Or65a olfactory neurons in Drosophila. Nature Neuroscience, doi:10.1038/nn.2836, 2011 Jun. 19

2.    Liu Y, Jiang Y, Si Y, Kim J-Y, Chen Z-F, and Rao Y (2011). Molecular regulation of sexual preference revealed by genetic studies of 5-HT in the brain of male mice. Nature 472:95-99

3.    Zhou C, Rao Yong, and Rao Y (2008). A subset of octopaminergic neurons are important for Drosophila aggression. Nature Neurosci11:1059-1061.

4.    Li X, Gao X, Liu G, Xiong W, Wu J, Rao Y (2008). Netrin signal transduction and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK180 in attractive signaling. Nature Neurosci 11:28-35

5.    Guo W, Jiang H, Gray V, Dedhar S, and Rao Y (2007). Role of the integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in determining neuronal polarity. Dev Biol306:457-468.

6.    Jiang H., Guo W., Liang X.H., and Rao Y.. Both the establishment and the maintenance of neuronal polarity require active mechanisms: critical roles of GSK-3b and its upstream regulators.Cell. 2005; 120: 123-135.

7.    Liu G., Beggs H., Jürgensen C., Park H.T., Tang H., Gorski J., Jones K.R., Reichardt L.F., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y.. Netrin requires the focal adhesion kinase and the Src family kinases to induce axon outgrowth and to attract axons. Nature Neurosci. 2004; 7: 1222.

8.    Ward M.E., Wu J.Y. and Rao Y.. Visualization of spatially and temporally regulated N-WASP activity during cytoskeletal reorganization in living cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2004; 101:970-974.

9.    Zhu Y., Yu T., Zhang X-C, Nagasawa T., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y.. Role of the chemokine SDF-1 as the meningeal attractant for embryonic cerebellar neurons. Nat Neurosci. 2002; 5: 719-720.

10.  Wong K., Ren X-R, Huang Y-Z, Xie Y., Liu G., Saito H., Tang H., Wen L., Brady-Kalnay S.M., Mei L., Wu J.Y., Xiong W-C, and Rao Y.. Signal Transduction in Neuronal Migration: Roles of GTPase Activating Proteins and the Small GTPase Cdc42 in the Slit-Robo Pathway. Cell. 2001; 107: 209-221.

11.  Wu J.Y., Feng L., Park H-T, Havlioglu N., Wen L., Tang H., Bacon K.B., Jiang Z., Zhang X-C, and Rao Y.. Slit, a molecule known to guide axon projection and neuronal migration, inhibits leukocyte chemotaxis induced by chemotactic factors. Nature. 2001; 410: 948-952.

12.  Wu W., Wong K., Chen J.H., Jiang Z.H., Dupuis S., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y..Directional guidance of neuronal migration in the olfactory system by the protein Slit. Nature. 1999; 400: 331-336.

13.  Li H.S., Chen J.H., Wu W., Fagaly T., Yuan W.L., Zhou L., Dupuis S., Jiang Z., Nash W., Gick C., Ornitz D., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y.. Vertebrate Slit, a secreted ligand for the transmembrane protein Roundabout, is a repellent for olfactory bulb axons. Cell. 1999; 96: 807-818.

14.  Li H.S., Tierney C., Wen L., Wu J.Y. and Rao Y.. A single morphogenetic field gives rise to two retina primordia under the influence of the prechordal mesoderm. Development. 1997; 124: 603-615.

15. Rao Y., Jan L.Y., and Jan Y.N.. Similarity of the product of the Drosophila neurogenic gene big brain to transmembrane channel proteins. Nature. 1990; 345: 163-167.