Student-run speaker series: Ewelina Knapska

On Friday 9th at 16:00, the student-run speaker series "A spotlight on cooperation" will feature a lecture by Ewelina Knapska, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Poland.

Her presentation, entitled "Information sharing within the social network – lessons from mice tested under semi-naturalistic conditions" will be held at MDC-Buch MDC.C (Haus 83), room Axon2, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin.

The seminar will be preceded by a pre-event reception with some snacks at 15:30, and will be followed by a Pizza break and a Career roundtable for Early Career Scientists.

To join the seminar, please register using the following form: https://forms.gle/nUKa8yreakYGxRRd7

Abstract: In social species, emotions displayed by others influence the cognition and behavior of the interacting individuals. It is believed that the capacity to be affected by the affective states of others helps to adapt to the environment; however, the behavioral and neural mechanisms of responding to others' emotions are still insufficiently understood.
We proposed an experimental design to study behavioral and brain mechanisms of social learning under semi-naturalistic conditions. Using an automated system for tracing the behavior of group-housed mice, Eco-HAB, we showed that socially acquired knowledge changes the exploration patterns of familiar and novel environments. The mice can transfer information about food by a scent of an individual who encountered the food reward. Mice living in the Eco-HAB show an individually stable rate of chasing others, reflecting the group's social structure. The position in the social structure affects the response to social signals. The behavioral effects we observed depend on the prefrontal cortex integrity.
Usually, perceiving others' emotions is considered a capacity that helps build relationships because it fosters emotional synchrony between individuals. We show that perceiving the affective states of others evoked by a reward helps an individual to adapt their behavior and maximize rewards. Thus, perceiving others' emotions carries informational value, which offers a new perspective on the evolutionary origins of socially shared emotions.

Here you can find information about the next appointments!