**Stanford Expert Highlights Genetic Mechanism on Huberman Lab Podcast"
A recent discussion on the popular Huberman Lab podcast, featuring Dr. Nirao Shah, MD, PhD, a distinguished professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, has underscored a critical nuance in biological sex determination. According to the podcast, the presence of a functional SRY gene, rather than the Y chromosome itself, is the ultimate factor in creating a biological male. Hormones subsequently act upon the tissue templates induced by the SRY gene.
"The presence of 1 gene: a functional SRY gene, not the Y chromosome per se, is what ultimately create a biological male. Hormones act on the template of tissues SRY induces," stated Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D., in a tweet announcing the episode.
Dr. Shah, a professor of psychiatry, behavioral sciences, and neurobiology at Stanford, specializes in understanding how the brain generates sex differences in behaviors such as mating, aggression, and parenting. His research, often utilizing animal models, investigates the intricate interplay of genes, neural circuits, and hormones in shaping these sexually dimorphic traits, exploring how developmental programming and social context influence biological outcomes.
The SRY (Sex-determining Region Y) gene is located on the Y chromosome and acts as a master switch, initiating the cascade of events that lead to male development. It encodes a protein, the sex-determining region Y protein, which triggers the formation of testes in the embryo. In the absence of a functional SRY gene, even individuals with a Y chromosome may develop female characteristics, a condition observed in cases like Swyer syndrome. Conversely, the rare occurrence of XX males, who are phenotypically male despite lacking a Y chromosome, can be attributed to the translocation of the SRY gene onto an X chromosome.
The Huberman Lab podcast, hosted by neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, has gained significant global recognition, frequently ranking among the top podcasts in science, education, and health. Its wide reach provides a prominent platform for disseminating complex scientific concepts, such as the nuanced role of the SRY gene in biological sex determination, to a broad public audience. This recent episode, titled "Male vs. Female Brain Differences & How They Arise From Genes & Hormones," delves into these foundational biological mechanisms.