OKA LAB

Transcriptomic analysis of neurons within the SFO and OVLT shed new insight into distinct types of thirst and the neuron classes which govern it... Differences in thirst neuron inhibition between oral intake vs. intragastric infusion of saline and water helps elucidate the distinct pathways that monitor liquid-gulping and gut osmolality... Our research group aims to understand how the brain and the body cooperate to achieve appropriate internal balance. Maintaining biological balance requires complex regulations involving central nervous systems, peripheral chemosensory systems, and gut-brain communication. We use rodents as model organisms to identify 1) what types of central and peripheral signals are involved in internal state regulation, 2) when these signals are triggered, and 3) how they contribute to behavioral outputs.

Primary location: Pasadena United States