Description:

The Department of Neuroscience Welcomes Dr. Lauren Orefice.

Lauren Orefice is an American neuroscientist and assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital and in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.

Abstract: The Orefice lab studies somatosensory and viscerosensory systems, with a focus on understanding how sensory circuits are altered in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, and surprisingly, the majority of autistic individuals experience sensory abnormalities and gastrointestinal problems but the neural circuit disruptions underlying these issues are not well understood. We identified that peripheral somatosensory neurons, outside the brain, are dysfunctional in multiple mouse models for ASD and contribute to the development of some of the major, core symptoms of ASD in mice. We are studying the development and function of peripheral sensory neurons that innervate the skin and gastrointestinal tract, and how this information is represented in the central nervous system. The Orefice lab also studies how peripheral sensory neuron dysfunction affects brain development and behaviors related to ASD, including for tactile over-reactivity and gastrointestinal problems. I will present ongoing work that has identified a role for colon-innervating dorsal root ganglia neurons in autism-associated gastrointestinal problems