Sara Freeman, Ph.D.

Field: Biology
Areas of Focus: Animal Behavior, Neuroscience

Expertise

• Social Neuroscience
• Oxytocin
• Vasopressin
• Brain
• Social Attachment
• Hormones
• Animal Behavior
• Sex/gender

Bio

Dr. Sara Freeman is currently an Assistant Professor of Neurobiology in the Biology Department at Utah State University. Her research uses a comparative and translational approach across highly social species of rodents, primates, humans, and now canids, to better understand the neural function of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems. She studies monogamous animals to probe the underlying neurobiological basis for attachment relationships between male-female pairs. The broader goal of her research is to better understand the neural basis of social function in animals and humans in order to try to identify possible biomarkers, disease etiologies, and novel treatment avenues for human clinical populations that are characterized by deficits in social function, such as individuals with autism spectrum disorders, social anxiety disorder, or schizophrenia.