Instructor, Department of Neurology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
During my undergraduate studies in Nutrition, I became fascinated with the central mechanisms and pathways in regulating appetite, metabolism, and the autonomic nervous system. In order to pursue studies in the central control of physiological systems, I joined a Master’s program and Ph.D. studies in this field.
For my postdoctoral studies, I wanted to learn more about sleep and thermoregulation. I did study the role of preoptic area neurons in regulating fever response and wake-sleep behavior.
In the most recent years, I have also dedicated to understanding how some species of animals can lower their body temperature and metabolism in response to food scarcity and harsh weather conditions to enter a torpor or hibernation state. And, on the opposite direction, how mammals can also engage thermogenic responses to fight against replication of microorganisms or to provide additional support to prepare the body for fight or flight.