This research investigates how Melatonin regulates sleep using zebrafish models. The work identifies the MT1 receptor as essential for melatonin-induced sleep and suggests melatonin may reduce responsiveness to visual stimuli during sleep, helping explain how the brain increases arousal thresholds and maintains nighttime sleep states.

This research explores how the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex communicate to support memory for sequences of events. By understanding how these brain regions track past, present, and future, the work aims to shed light on cognitive impairments seen in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

This research explores how early-life stress alters reward motivation differently in males and females. By identifying sex-specific brain circuits and wiring patterns shaped by early stress, it reveals why individuals respond differently to reward and highlights the need for personalized approaches to mental health treatment.

Migraine affects over 10% of people and disproportionately impacts women. This research studies sex differences in brain circuits using mouse models to understand why. By manipulating neural pathways, findings show certain circuits trigger migraine-like sensitivity only in females. Mapping these circuits may enable personalized, more effective migraine treatments.

This research investigates brain circuits that regulate sodium appetite and salt preference. By manipulating sodium-sensitive neurons and immune signaling pathways in mice, the study demonstrates how sodium craving can be altered without changing food composition, opening new possibilities for treating excessive sodium consumption and sodium-related cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.