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SBN Purpose and Mission
The Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (SBN)
is an interdisciplinary scientific organization dedicated
to the study of hormonal processes and neuroendocrine systems
that regulate behavior. This focus is unique among professional
societies, thus SBN’s
annual meetings and its journal Hormones and Behavior provide
vital forums for the integration of ideas across the field
of behavioral neuroendocrinology. This integration occurs
on multiple fronts and spans all levels of biological organization,
from molecular to organismal. SBN members conduct research
on myriad organisms across a diversity of contexts, including
field-based investigations of animals in their natural
habitats, laboratory research on important model systems,
and clinical research on a variety of topics directly related
to human health. Our work is supported by numerous agencies,
which include the National Science Foundation (NSF), National
Institutes of Health (NIH), equivalent agencies outside
of the U.S., and other governmental programs and private
foundations. This wide array of funding sources reflects
the fact that SBN serves as an “information conduit” along
the continuum of basic and applied science. Indeed, many
SBN members conduct research over a broad range of this
continuum, and receive funding from both NSF and NIH (or
their equivalents).
Our understanding of biological processes and the development
of medical interventions depend greatly upon basic research.
Integrative organizations such as SBN therefore play an essential
role in the scientific process. Indeed, there are many examples
demonstrating how our basic research in behavioral neuroendocrinology
has yielded insights into issues of substantial importance
to humans. For instance, by elucidating the neuroendocrine
mechanisms that regulate basic patterns of activity in rodents
and other animals, SBN members paved the way for important
advances in the clinical treatment of insomnia. Research
into the hormonal regulation of behavior in songbirds has
yielded seminal insights into neural plasticity (including
the generation of new neurons in the adult brain), and has
profoundly influenced our understanding of the relationship
between testosterone and aggression. Studies on the endocrinology
of social stress in wild animals have led to changes in the
clinical treatment of stroke, yielding significant benefits
for victims. These examples are just a small sample of the
work that SBN researchers do. In fact, studies by SBN members
have produced much of what we now know about sexual development,
mother-infant bonding, reproductive biology, endocrine influences
on human cognition and aging, stress effects on immune function,
and far more. SBN is proud of the achievements our members,
and proud to serve the public who funds our work.
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