The research in my lab focuses on understanding how the body senses, responds to, and adapts to complex and dynamic internal environments. We are primarily interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the intestinal sensory machinery and circuitry. The intestine is the main site where the body processes all dietary components. The intestine also harbors billions of microorganisms that are important in shaping our physiology and behavior. Our current work focuses on the following areas: (1) characterizing the neuronal circuitry and signaling pathways that transmit diverse nutritional and microbial information from the gut to the brain; (2) investigating how the gut sensory machinery affects metabolism and feeding behavior; and (3) examining the microbial mechanisms and bioactive bacterial signals that regulate the gut-brain axis and physiology.