Yoav Livneh

Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.

Website

X / Bluesky

Title

Brain-body interactions: sensations and predictions in the insular cortex

Abstract

The brain and body are in a continuous dialog that is essential for our physical and mental health. Yet, we still do not have a detailed neurobiological understanding of how this dialog is achieved. How do cortical activity patterns give rise to specific interoceptive sensations? How are internal and external information streams integrated to form specific interoceptive predictions? How are learned predictions transformed into top-down signals that prepare the body for anticipated physiological changes? I will present our recent work addressing these questions using non-invasive gut optogenetics for quantitative interoceptive psychophysics, combined with two-photon cortical imaging, optogenetics, and endocrine measurements. We use this combined approach to uncover an essential neural basis for perception of internal sensations in the insular cortex, as well as mechanisms of learning interoceptive predictions. I will further show that insular cortex predictions are important for anticipatory physiological control. This cortically-controlled anticipatory physiological regulation is essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis on slower timescales long after the anticipatory phase.

Biosketch

Yoav studied Psychology and Biology for his BSc at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He initially planned to be a psychotherapist, but soon fell in love with Neurobiology. He then did his PhD in Neurobiology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel with Prof. Adi Mizrahi. During his PhD he investigated the development and plasticity of olfactory adult-born neurons. His studies ranged from single synapses to cellular sensory physiology.

For his postdoctoral research, Yoav joined the labs of Profs. Mark Andermann and Brad Lowell at the Endocrinology Department of BIDMC of Harvard Medical School. There he investigated interoception of physiological needs such as hunger and thirst, and how they bias our perception of sensory cues in our environment.

Yoav started his research group at the Weizmann Institute in Israel in 2020. His lab seeks to understand brain-body communication, and its role in regulating diverse behaviors. They do so by studying cortical computations in insular cortex and how they bidirectionally relate to changes in bodily physiology. His lab focuses on prioritization of different physiological needs, perception of internal sensations, and the causal role of cortical computations in regulating bodily physiology.