The Gastronauts Podcast

Dr. Ranier Gutierrez is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at CINVESTAV in Mexico City. His life’s work is centered around the basic human need to control our appetite. (For food that is, there is no need to control your appetite for discovery!!! 😉) In his laboratory, they use cutting edge technology to to read minds as the subject eats in order to better understand what is the circuitry that connects feeding to joy. 

Dr. Michael Krashes is a Senior Investigator at the NIDDK in the NIH.  His laboratory is on a mission to decipher the wiring diagram for hunger. His current work seeks to uncover the secrets behind our most primal instincts for survival, such as, the oscillating interactions between self-preservation and  food-seeking to optimize behavior. His research is shedding light on the intricate mechanisms that govern our relationship with food.

Dr. Laura Duvall (Columbia) investigates the neurobiological mechanisms underlying mosquito behavior, including the regulation of host-seeking after blood-feeding, circadian and seasonal biting rhythms, and mating behavior. She employs pharmacological and genetic approaches to uncover the neuropeptide pathways and anatomical circuits involved in these behavioral switches, shedding light on fundamental questions regarding mosquito biology. The laboratory also works to address the signaling mechanisms responsible for inhibiting re-mating and preventing interspecies mating, crucial for understanding reproductive strategies and interspecies competition among mosquitoes. 

Dr. Scott Waldman's research at Thomas Jefferson University explores the mechanisms underlying visceral pain and how neuropod cells communicate with innervating spinal neurons. His work focuses on the role of the specific protein GUCY2C as a mediator of activity and a potential therapeutic target for treatment. 

Dr. Nick Betley's work at the University of Pennsylvania focuses on how hypothalamic circuits are regulated to influence food intake. On the podcast, we discuss the integration of pain and hunger in hunger circuits—examining when pain outweighs hunger and vice versa.

The 2023 Bite Size Summit, featuring four amazing early career scientists, Drs. Servin-Vences, Scavuzzo, Lough and Biswas, who study biological sensors for stretch, the functions of glial cells and the fascinating development of senses or lack thereof!

Dr. Greg Suh explores the fascinating world of how brains process external stimuli and generate behavioral responses. Using the fruit fly and advanced genetic tools, his group at KAIST investigates the neural substrates behind innate behaviors. They're also delving into the identification of internal sensors for nutritional value in both fruit flies and mice, shedding light on how mammals perceive and respond to nutrients.

Emily Liman, Ph.D., is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. Dr. Liman is a world-renowned sensory neurobiologist who has advanced our understanding of taste perception through her groundbreaking discoveries including that of the OTOP channel—a key player in our ability to perceive the sour taste of a juicy lemon.

Andrea Gomez, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of California Berkeley. Andrea’s laboratory seeks to understand the mysteries of the mind at the intersection of psychedelics and plasticity. The laboratory uncovers how these trippy compounds shake up our synaptic playground by using a combination of molecular biology, functional imaging, and slice electrophysiology to understand neural plasticity in neural degeneration and the potential therapeutic use of the active components in psychedelics.

Join our conversation with Ilya Raskin, famous for his work on plant growth regulation, plant immunity to diseases, phytoremediation, and, in the last decade, for his research in plant-derived functional foods and medicines. He is also actively involved in international bioexploration, conservation and is an amazing photographer!