Douglass Group

The Neurobiology of Homeostasis

Throughout their life, organisms face threats to their homeostasis, a steady internal bodily state. These threats include predators, extreme temperatures, pathogens, and food scarcity. To ensure survival in the face of these challenges, the brain must trigger the appropriate behavioral and physiological (cardiovascular, respiratory, and thermogenic) responses to maintain homeostasis. How the brain coordinates these diverse adaptations in parallel is an open question.
The Douglass group investigates this question by focusing on the hypothalamus, a central hub that sits at the interface between the brain and the body. Through communication with the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, and pre-motor brain areas, the hypothalamus maintains homeostasis in the face of changing external stimuli and internal states.
Using mice as a model organism, the Douglass group performs in vivo imaging, manipulations of neural activity, and detailed behavioral and physiological recordings to decipher the organization, function, and dynamic modulation of the brain’s threat-responsive circuitry.