As illustrated by familiar experiences such as feeling sleepy after becoming full or feeling irritable when hungry, the state of the body influences the brain.
Conversely, brain-derived signals regulate the whole body, both consciously and unconsciously, as seen in phenomena such as a decrease in body temperature during sleep or vomiting under repeated stress.
We aim to elucidate the functions of individual neurons and molecules at the whole-body level.
Beyond neural systems traditionally studied in mice, we will also use non-rodent animal models.
Through this approach, we seek to uncover the functions of unknown molecules that are shared across many mammals, including humans, but have not been fully elucidated in rodents.