Summary
My research is centered on understanding the changes in innervation of the gastrointestinal tract that accompany intestinal inflammation. During states of inflammation, such as those occurring in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), various features of gut function, including motility, secretion and sensitivity are altered. Because nerve cells of the bowel regulate these functions, changes in these neurons may cause the symptoms that lead to suffering in these individuals. Likewise, symptoms suffered by individuals with functional bowel disorders (FBD), such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), may be due to changes in the structure or function of these nerves. We use electrophysiological, molecular, biochemical and imaging approaches to assess changes in these nerve cells. Altered molecular targets are characterized to aid the development of interventional therapeutics.
Recent Publications
See my publications
Professional Details
Primary Appointment
- Physiology and Biomedical Engineering
Academic Rank
- Assistant Professor of Physiology
Education
- BS - Biology University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
- PhD - Neuroscience University of Minnesota
- Post Doctoral Associate Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota
- Post Doctoral Fellowship Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Vermont