Studying how you feel inside.
Est. 2022
Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine
Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Our bodies are continually barraged by mechanical stimuli from within due to the movements of our organs. Sensing internal forces is critical for a wide variety of processes, such as blood-pressure control, feeding, digestion, and urination. Despite its importance, we know little about the sensors, cells and physiology of internal force sensing.
PAST WORK
The mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO2 is expressed in sensory neurons, where it is critical for the senses of touch and proprioception. We found that PIEZO2 also mediates urinary reflexes and the sensation of bladder fullness in mice and humans. Both PIEZO2 and the related protein PIEZO1 are essential for blood pressure control. It is likely these ion channels play many other important roles in mechanical interoception.
FUTURE WORK
This field is a frontier – so much is still unknown! How does your gastrointestinal tract tell your brain that you are full? What causes internal organ pain? How do these internal cues affect behavior and physiology? There is plenty to explore.