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Cellular and Circuit Mechanisms of Neuropeptide Signaling

We want to understand how inter-tissue communication, specifically that mediated by the long-range secreted signals called neuropeptides, influences physiology and aging. Neuropeptides transmit messages within the brain and across the nervous system to control vital physiologic processes like energy homeostasis and reproductive cycles, as well as motivational and emotional states including sleep, arousal, pain, stress, and mood. We are developing new methods to monitor and manipulate neuropeptide signaling in living animals, and also identifying the fundamental enzymes that regulate neuropeptide communication. We are also working to elucidate the complex interactions between the ovary and brain during middle-age and to identify the neuronal factors that lead to the onset of reproductive decline in females. We employ advanced imaging, genetic, and biochemical approaches to investigate these questions using both worm and mouse model systems. Our goal is to discover how age-related changes in neuropeptide signaling systems in the brain can influence whole organism healthspan and longevity, and to discover strategies to prevent or delay ovarian aging.