Miranda M. Lim, M.D., Ph.D., of Portland VA Medical Center and Oregon Health and Science University will use prairie voles to investigate how sleep disturbances impact brain development and social functioning, to determine whether impaired sleep contributes to the brain pathology of autism spectrum disorder. Prairie voles are highly social and form lifelong pair bonds. Dr. Lim will study whether disrupting the sleep of prairie vole pups during a sensitive developmental period influences their social behavior as juveniles or pups, and evaluate the animals' brains for markers associated with autism.