Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. David Anderson, PhD, a professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). We discuss the brain circuits that underlie how emotions emerge and shape behaviors, including the neural control of fear, aggression and pain. We also explore how hormones and neuromodulators influence these emotional states, and why understanding these hidden internal processes is essential for improving future mental health treatments.
Show notes: go.hubermanlab.com/blBjp0e
Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S&si=a1_sA7rUT-fE0OM5
Huberman Lab
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Facebook: facebook.com/hubermanlab
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Dr. David Anderson
Caltech academic profile: https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu/people/professor-david-j-anderson
The Nature of the Beast (book): amzn.to/3qsrdOH
Lab website: https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu
Publications: scholar.google.com/citations?user=C88XVPQAAAAJ
Timestamps
00:00:00 David Anderson
00:00:20 Emotions vs States
00:01:53 Emotion Qualities: Persistence & Generalization
00:04:04 Aggression
00:06:39 Evolution of Fear & Aggression, Offensive vs Defensive Aggression
00:08:55 Homeostatic Behaviors & Hydraulic Pressure
00:11:56 Testosterone, Estrogen & Aggression
00:13:49 Female vs Male Aggression
00:15:46 Mating Behavior & Aggression; Sexual Violence
00:19:21 Periaqueductal Gray, Pain Control & Fighting
00:23:36 Tachykinin, Pain, Social Isolation & Aggression
00:28:08 Emotions & Somatic Feeling; Vagus Nerve
00:32:48 Acknowledgements & Future Direction
Disclaimer & Disclosures: hubermanlab.com/disclaimer
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. David Anderson, PhD, a professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). We discuss the brain circuits that underlie how emotions emerge and shape behaviors, including the neural control of fear, aggression and pain. We also explore how hormones and neuromodulators influence these emotional states, and why understanding these hidden internal processes is essential for improving future mental health treatments.
Show notes: go.hubermanlab.com/blBjp0e
Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S&si=a1_sA7rUT-fE0OM5
Huberman Lab
Instagram: instagram.com/hubermanlab
Threads: threads.net/@hubermanlab
X: https://x.com/hubermanlab
Facebook: facebook.com/hubermanlab
TikTok: tiktok.com/@hubermanlab
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman
Website: hubermanlab.com
Newsletter: hubermanlab.com/newsletter
Dr. David Anderson
Caltech academic profile: https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu/people/professor-david-j-anderson
The Nature of the Beast (book): amzn.to/3qsrdOH
Lab website: https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu
Publications: scholar.google.com/citations?user=C88XVPQAAAAJ
Timestamps
00:00:00 David Anderson
00:00:20 Emotions vs States
00:01:53 Emotion Qualities: Persistence & Generalization
00:04:04 Aggression
00:06:39 Evolution of Fear & Aggression, Offensive vs Defensive Aggression
00:08:55 Homeostatic Behaviors & Hydraulic Pressure
00:11:56 Testosterone, Estrogen & Aggression
00:13:49 Female vs Male Aggression
00:15:46 Mating Behavior & Aggression; Sexual Violence
00:19:21 Periaqueductal Gray, Pain Control & Fighting
00:23:36 Tachykinin, Pain, Social Isolation & Aggression
00:28:08 Emotions & Somatic Feeling; Vagus Nerve
00:32:48 Acknowledgements & Future Direction
Disclaimer & Disclosures: hubermanlab.com/disclaimer
