Zoom Link:  https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/97923033817 

 Abstract: Cardiac processes and their neurological substrates are critical for homeostatic management of internal body condition as well as psychological and behavioral expression. Unfortunately, how communication between the heart and brain is maintained at beat-to-beat continuity is understudied. Numerous key hurdles, most notably the anatomical complexity of body-brain circuits and a dearth of specific tools targeting the peripheral nervous system, have hampered the ability to conduct methodical interoception research in model organisms. The mission of my lab is to leverage the cardiovascular system to understand the role of the body-brain interface in maintaining physiological homeostasis and regulating behavior in health and disease. In this talk, I will highlight a vagal sensory neuronal population that innerves the cardiac ventricles and its involvement in cardiac physiology and behavior. Furthermore, I will share another line of research in my lab wherein we are looking at cardiovascular conditions like myocardial infarction (MI - heart attack) from a neuroimmune perspective. We have data showing that specific ablation of cardiac ventricular nociceptors reduces inflammation and reverses MI phenotypes to almost control levels. Elucidating the neurobiology of the heart is not only a crucial basic scientific endeavor, but it also offers significant translational promise for cardiovascular disorders that remain the largest killer globally.

Dr. Augustine is a faculty candidate for the Department of Basic Medical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. For information on this search, please contact the Search Chair: Dr. Susan Mendrysa at mendrysa@purdue.edu