Research summary
The brain controls nearly all our organs. However, it is increasingly clear that our organs also influence our brains, affecting our health. Signals from the body can shape physiologic states like appetite, mood, memory and cognition. As Canada Research Chair in Brain Circuits of Interoception, Dr. Karolina Skibicka is uncovering how hormonal and neural communication between the gut, pancreas and brain affects human behaviour.
Using animal models and newly developed genetic and molecular tools, she and her research team are studying the precise neural circuits and chemical messengers these organs use to “talk” to the brain, and how that conversation changes in conditions like obesity, mental health disorders and cognitive issues. Their findings could lead to safer, more targeted treatments for these common conditions.