research
Since opening the lab in 2018, we have focused on how the nervous system encodes pain and social touch based on sensory stimuli applied to the skin. We are integrating the peripheral and central nervous systems, seeking to uncover genes and neural circuits for somatosensation from the skin to the spinal cord and interconnected networks across the brain. We are elucidating the “skin-brain axis” – taking a holistic approach that combines high-resolution behavioral mapping, brain and peripheral neuron imaging, and neural circuit manipulations.
We acknowledge support from the following programs:
Artwork by Julia Kuhl
The Neurobiology of Social Touch
Social touch is the foundation to bonds between loved ones. Despite this general appreciation, how neurons in the skin connect with circuits in the brain to encode rewarding social touch remains poorly understood. We are investigating natural behaviors that rely upon social touch – ranging from mating to lactation and mother-pup interactions. With close observation of behavior at the core, we are elucidating the “skin-brain axis” for social touch using genetic manipulations in the periphery coupled to brain imaging approaches.
Social neurobiology in naked mole rat colonies
The naked mole-rat hails from East Africa and has adapted to life underground in a eusocial structure with one breeding queen, a handful of breeding males, and a multitude of subservient caste members. A single colony can contain a few dozen or a few hundred animals. We are investigating the neurobiology of social touch in naked mole-rats, with the goal of identifying behaviors, genes, and neural circuits from skin to brain that shape their extremely social lifestyle.
