NEUROSEX & BIOSPECTRUM: Cutting Edge Research in Gender, Sex and Reproduction

DESCRIPTION

Neuroscience has long operated under a male-default model of development, assuming hormonal and structural baselines that erase female, intersex, and non-binary neurological profiles. Recent advances in developmental neurobiology are transforming our understanding of sex and gender. This presentation explores research on astrocytes, microglia, and the sexually dimorphic expression of neuropeptides such as oxytocin and vasopressin, showing that brain architecture differ in neurotransmitter expression and circuit functions across sexes,

Further, this paper connects behavioral neurodevelopment with social bonding models, questioning amatonormativity through neural substrates of pair bonding and polar-relationality. AVPR1a and dopaminergic expression reveal not only neurochemical diversity in relationship patterns, but also sex-based expression differences, with recent evidence showing poly-alleles appearing more frequently in women. This challenges traditional assumptions around gendered fidelity and caregiving roles.

Expanding beyond pair-bonding, the paper highlights emerging research into parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) in humans and the artificial womb to grow a foetus outside the body, and its implications for future biotechnologies and the social construction of reproductive roles. Together, these scientific insights dismantle simplistic binaries around sex and gender and encourage new frameworks for embodiment, relational autonomy, and reproductive agency.

This presentation proposes a BioSpectrum paradigm: an integrative, non-binary model that reflects the complexity of neurodevelopment, sexuality, and reproduction. It advocates for sex and gender studies that honor bodily variance, relational diversity, and alternative reproductive futures.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. At the end of the session, attendees will be able to identify and categorize brain areas that are central to research advancements in gender and sexuality studies.
2. At the end of the session, attendees will be able to be able to elucidate medical advancements in reproductive technologies.

AVAILABLE ON

ErosCoaching	AASECT CE · Standard Access	Access Now
The Elsewheres	AASECT CE · Collective Access	Access Now
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Eventbrite	Open Access	Access Now

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Access Key
Standard Access: Full course access with AASECT Continuing Education credits. Ideal for licensed clinicians and certified professionals fulfilling CE requirements (First-come, first-served).
Collective Access: Full course access with AASECT Continuing Education credits, offered at a lower price point to support decolonial participation across professional communities (First-come, first-served).
Community Access: Full course access without AASECT CE credits, designed for BIPOC, queer, kink+, and sex-positive community members engaging outside of a clinical or certification context.
Open Access: Registration open to all, including international students. No AASECT CE credits

OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE

Rao, N. (2026, March 19). Neurosex and Biospectrum: Cutting Edge Research in Gender, Sex and Reproduction. N. Rao Publications. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19106765
Resource type: Lesson
Publisher: N. Rao Publications
Hosting institution: Institute for Intersectional Relational Studies
Copyright: Copyright (C) 2026 N. Rao Publications

Rao, N. (2024, June 14). Challenging Amatonormativity: Re-introducing the hidden world of Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17460737
Resource type: Conference paper
Publisher: N. Rao Publications
Hosting institution: Institute for Intersectional Relational Studies
Copyright: Copyright (C) 2024 N. Rao Publications

EDUCATOR BIO