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.
Contact Us
Abha Karki Rajbhandari
Principal Investigator
abha.rajbhandari@mssm.edu