Professional Profile

• PhD, Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
• BS, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Lab of Chris Gregg,
  University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
  Salt Lake City, UT

• Scientist Intern, Biomedical Technologies Group,
  Luna Innovations, Charlottesville, VA

My research objective is to understand how genes, epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and hormone signaling in the brain interact to regulate social behaviors. Most recently, my focus has been to investigate noncanonical genomic imprinting in the monoamine neurotransmitter system of the brain and the functional consequences on mammalian behavior. Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon in mammals where the expression of an allelic copy of a gene depends on whether it was inherited from the mother or the father. A major theory about genomic imprinting in the brain is that it functions to regulate social behaviors between mothers and offspring, and even between adult social groups. Using newly developed allelic-reporter mice made by CRISPR mediated knock-in mutagenesis, and neural histology methods, I have begun to identify which monoaminergic neurons in the brain are subject to genomic imprinting effects. In addition, genetic mouse models and ongoing behavioral experiments are characterizing which aspects of social behavior are impacted by genomic imprinting in the monoamine neurotransmitter system. Moving forward, my research will use genomic imprinting effects as a marker to identify cell-types and circuits important for regulating complex social behaviors in mammals.

View Dr. Bonthuis' publications in PubMed. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/paul.bonthuis.1/bibliography/public/

• Medical Neuroanatomy Lab Instructor, School of Medicine, University of Utah
  Instructor, Pre-meeting Workshop: Basics and latest trends in CRISPR mouse genome editing technologies, 14th Transgenic Technology Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT

• NIMH 1K99MH111912 Bonthuis(PI) 02/01/2017 – 01/31/2019
  Genomic imprinting in circuits for social behavior
  
  The goal of this project is to discover genomic imprinting effects in monoamine circuits of the hypothalamus that are regulated by hormone signaling and impact social behaviors related to mental illness

• New Investigator Award, Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Annual Meeting, Bloomington, IN June, 2019
  
  
• NIH Pathway to Independence Award K99, National Institutes of Mental Health 2017-2019
  
  
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Interdisciplinary Training Program in Metabolism Fellowship,
  University of Utah 2013-2014
  
  
• Travel award, Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada July, 2010
  
  
• First place poster presentation, Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Annual Meeting, June, 2009
  East Lansing, MI
  
  
• Predoctoral Fellowship, Biotechnology Training Program, U. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 2008-2010