A pioneer in the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology, Carter will begin her role as director Saturday, according to an IU press release.
Previously, Carter was a professor of psychiatry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
She has also been the co-director of the Brain-Body Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
“Sue Carter is an outstanding scientist whose innovative research will contribute significantly to The Kinsey Institute,” Vice President for Research Jorge José said in the release. “I have asked Dr. Carter to develop a strategic plan for the institute that expands its research focus into the biological bases of love and sexual behavior.
“Just as Dr. Kinsey’s research in the 20th century broke new ground in our understanding of sexual behavior, Dr. Carter’s research into the mechanisms underlying social bonds, love and other positive emotions will break new ground in the 21st ?century.”
Carter is currently the lead investigator of a $4.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for research involving the developmental consequences of birth interventions, such as induced labor, according to the University.
Her work will continue at IU, using animal models to look at the possible effects on infants of the use of oxytocin to induce labor.
Oxytocin is at the biological center of love and sexual behavior, according to the University.
As director, Carter said she plans to develop the Kinsey Institute Resource Center, which is planned to increase collaborations among members of the IU academic community as well as globally.
“Dr. Carter’s work at the intersection of science and society — balancing rigorous research and the challenges of humankind — is most ?impressive,” said Lynn Luckow, chair of the Kinsey Institute’s Board of Trustees, in the release. “This rich combination of her capacity to engage a variety of research disciplines, utilize and expand the research collections and archives, and offer more opportunities for education and training made Sue stand out as the leader most able to move the institute toward even greater relevance and impact in the daily lives of people worldwide.”
Kathrine Schulze
