Neuroscience of Interoception and Chemosensation – NIC
The Neuroscience of Interoception and Chemosensation Study Section (NIC) reviews applications to investigate the genetics, molecular biology, anatomy, and physiology of chemosensation, interoception and thermoregulation in humans as well as vertebrate and invertebrate animals, including insect disease vectors. The involvement of these systems in behaviors such as ingestive or social behavior is also an area of interest. The emphasis is on integrative systems approaches to understanding normal sensory function as well as sensory pathology due to injury or disease. Studies may be basic or translational in nature and may use established or emerging model systems, including vertebrate, invertebrate, bioengineered tissue models, and computational approaches.
Review Dates
Topics
- Chemosensation including olfactory, gustatory and chemesthesis.
- Olfactory and gustatory systems and extended to other types of chemical signaling, such as semiochemicals (pheromones, allomones, and kairomones).
- Chemical sampling used by cells in organ systems outside of the nasal and oral cavities, such as in the gut, kidneys, and sperm.
- Neuroanatomical and neurophysiological aspects of interoception when the focus is on gastro-intestinal system and ingestive behavior (e.g., hunger, thirst, nausea)
- Ingestive behavior, including neural regulation of food and fluid intake, and whole-body energy homeostasis.
- Effects of olfaction and taste, or the microbiome on ingestive behaviors and social behavior.
- Gut-brain axis
- Somatosensation in the context of interoception.
- Neurobiology of thermoregulation
- Multisensory Integration: convergence and interaction among the chemosensory, somatosensory, and interoception systems related to composite sensations (e.g. flavor) and/or behavior.
- Mechanisms of olfaction, gustation, touch, and temperature sensation in disease vectors and effects on behavior.
Shared Interests and Overlaps
Applications addressing development of chemosensory systems with emphases on cellular differentiation, axonal pathfinding, or synaptic function may be reviewed by Neurogenesis and Cell Fate (NCF), Neurodifferentiation, Plasticity, and Regeneration (NDPR), or Neurotransporters, Receptors, Channels and Calcium Signaling (NTRC).
Applications focused on basic cellular and subcellular properties of chemical signaling, such as ion channels, glial physiology, or molecular neurogenetics may be reviewed by NTRC, Neuronal Communications (NC), NCF or Cellular and Molecular Biology of Glia (CMBG).
Applications addressing mechanisms of integration of chemosensory signals and motor output may be reviewed by Sensory-Motor Neuroscience (SMN). Applications to investigate somatosensation in the context of pain are generally reviewed in Neurobiology of Pain and Itch (NPI).
Applications with a focus on development of novel molecular genetic technologies to manipulate chemosensory systems may be reviewed by Molecular Neurogenetics (MNG).
There are shared interests in insect vector chemosensation with Transmission of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (TVZ). Applications that emphasize perturbations to the olfactory system as a strategy to reduce vector-borne disease transmission may be reviewed in TVZ. Applications that emphasize normal insect physiology may be reviewed in NIC.
Applications addressing conditioned taste aversion and other forms of learning or motivated behavior involving the chemosensory system may be reviewed by Neurobiology of Learning, Memory and Decision Neuroscience (LMDN) or Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior (NMB).
Applications focused on behavioral motivation associated with ingestion of food or fluids may be reviewed by Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior (NMB).
Applications that focus on signaling pathways of ingestive behavior related to development of obesity and diabetes and regulation of metabolic homeostasis, rather than behavioral regulation, may be reviewed by Pathophysiology of Obesity and Metabolic Disease (POMD).
Applications strongly focused on neuroendocrinology of ingestive behavior and whole-body energy homeostasis may be reviewed by Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Neuroimmunology, Rhythms, and Sleep - (BNRS).
