Laboratory for Interoception and Metabolism Research
Understanding how the brain and body communicate under stress to reveal novel therapeutic targets
The BrainBody Lab investigates the continuous, dynamic interaction between the brain and the body. While traditional neuroscience has focused primarily on the brain, emerging evidence shows that physiological states—from metabolism to breathing to immune responses—shape neural circuits just as powerfully as the brain shapes the body. Our lab seeks to uncover these bidirectional pathways to better understand stress-related behaviors, metabolic health, and interoceptive processes.
About
A growing body of research demonstrates that the brain and body are in constant conversation. However, the field has historically emphasized brain-centric mechanisms, leaving major gaps in understanding how peripheral organs and internal bodily states influence brain function.
The BrainBody Lab is dedicated to studying this dynamic interplay. We investigate how stress, metabolic cues, and interoceptive signals shape brain circuits—and how these circuits, in turn, regulate physiology and behavior.
Vision
Our vision is to define the neural and physiological mechanisms that link the brain and body in the regulation of:
• stress-related behaviors
• energy metabolism
• interoception and internal-state sensing
We aim to identify new therapeutic pathways for disorders involving stress, metabolism, and brain–body dysregulation.
Research Areas
Our research focuses on two interconnected domains:
1.Stress and Energy Metabolism
We aim to understand how chronic stress disrupts metabolic homeostasis, alters sympathetic–parasympathetic balance, and influences energy expenditure, feeding behaviors, and cardiometabolic health.
2. Stress and Interoception
We study how internal bodily signals—such as breathing, heart rate, and visceral states—shape emotional processing, fear responses, and stress resilience. We investigate how brain circuits interpret and modulate these internal cues, with a focus on vagal and neuropeptidergic pathways.
Research
Extreme stress and/or fear can profoundly affect brain and body mechanisms leading to increased vulnerability for developing disorders such as post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and panic disorders. Stress exerts its effects on the brain and body via the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems which allow organisms to tackle a variety of stressors with “fight or flight” responses regulated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and “rest and digest” responses, regulated by the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Extreme or prolonged activation of the sympathetic systems can have detrimental effects at the level of neurons and astrocytes in various brain regions, neurotransmitter and neuropeptidergic systems, and organs like heart, lungs and gut in turn affecting central, metabolic, cardiorespiratory and immune functions. The vagus nerve, a major cranial nerve connecting the brain and body and known as the “wandering nerve”, is an important regulator of parasympathetic functions via innervations to the thoracic and abdominal organs, and the autonomic, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, immune, and endocrine systems. Direct vagus nerve stimulation using electrical devices or through mind/body practices such as yoga appear to be effective in diminishing stress, immune, and cardiorespiratory functions.
Karki lab is dedicated to understanding the reciprocal mechanisms between the brain and body axis via the sympathetic and parasympathetic modulators that affect or are affected by traumatic stress and associated changes in cardiorespiratory functions. Our research questions span along three main areas: 1) How is the brain-vagus-body axis involved in modulating fear and stress? 2) What are the mechanisms that link traumatic stress and metabolic syndromes?, and, 3) How are brain astrocytes involved in regulating fear, stress and cardiorespiratory functions? Our work is focused on the neuropeptidergic systems like PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide) and CRF (corticotropin releasing factor) and the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. To answer our questions, we use cutting-edge tools and techniques such as optogenetics, chemogenetics, genetically modified mouse lines, intersectional viral approach, telemetry tracking of cardiorespiratory functions, behavioral models of traumatic stress and fear, and many others.
Contact Us
Karki Laboratory
Abha Karki Rajbhandari
Principal Investigator
abha.rajbhandari@mssm.edu
Contact Us
Abha Karki Rajbhandari
Principal Investigator
abha.rajbhandari@mssm.edu