The nervous system is a master regulator of physiological functions across different organs. The goal of the meeting is to provide an overview across the latest developments on the neural regulation and neural-organ interactions in health and disease spanning a wide range of functions from feeding and metabolism, energy homeostasis, and gut-brain/neuro-immune interactions in model systems and humans. The meeting will provide insights into the neural circuits and mechanisms, as well as genetics and lifestyle (e.g., nutrition) underlying and influencing these functions, and will focus on the latest technological interventions and tools in research.

This Cell Symposium aims to bring together thought leaders within these diverse fields, provide a forum for sharing and disseminating the latest advances, and provide a common ground for cross-disciplinary discussion and collaboration between the fields to understand the role of neural regulation in organismal homeostasis and disease.

Topics:

• Brain-body communication in regulating appetite and consummatory behavior

• Brain-body interaction in regulating energy balance/thermoregulation

• The gut-brain axis and neuro-immune interactions in metabolic disease

• New technologies and models for studying brain-body communication and treatments of disease

• The influence of genes and lifestyle on energy homeostasis, metabolism, and mental health