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Our laboratory studies how the brain monitors and regulates body hydration. More specifically, we aim to define how networks of neurons and astrocytes control the sensation of thirst, vasopressin release and autonomic output during health and disease conditions. Changes in hydration status and autonomic tone are important contributing factors in many clinical conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, dehydration and sepsis. Osmoregulatory dysfunction is also likely to be one of the key factors that links high salt intake to hypertension. Our current projects investigate:
Mechanisms of sodium detection, thermosensation and osmoreception
Glial taurine and neuronal firing in osmoregulatory nuclei
Glial plasticity
and neuronal signaling
Clock neurons & circadian rhythms
Control of burst firing
Local signaling in dendrites
TRPV1 and TRPV4 ion channels
Cytoskeleton and mechanosensation
Osmoregulatory circuits & septicemia
Impact of chronic high salt intake on osmoregulatory circuits
The supraoptic nucleus features glial cells (blue) intermingled with neurons secreting oxytocin and vasopressin (yellow).
Keywords: neuroscience, electrophysiology, pharmacology, biophysics, patch-clamp, synaptic transmission, synapse, glia, glial cells, gliotransmission, taurine, glycine, glycine receptor, volume regulated anion channel, neuron, vasopressin, oxytocin, neurohypophysis, pituitary, endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, cytoskeleton, actin, microtubules, mechanotransduction, mechanosensitivity, osmolality, osmotic, osmosensing, osmosensory, osmoreceptor, NMDA, GABA osmoreception, osmoregulation, peptide, neuropeptide, thirst, diuresis, natriuresis, salt appetite, salt sensing, sodium sensing, transient receptor potential, TRP, TRPV, trpv1, trpv2, trpv3, trpv4, trpa1, vanilloid, burst, bursting, rhythms, phasic, depolarizing after-potential, plateau, dendrite, dendritic, autocrine, neurosecretion, nerve terminal, axon terminal, action potential, graduate studies, postdoctoral studies, postdoc, imaging, calcium, calcium channel, calcium imaging, single channel, dehydration, hyponatremia, hypernatremia, hypertension, diabetes insipidus, circadian rhythms.
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Last update: September 22, 2012
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