Jessica Justinussen

Postdoc, Kornum Lab

Title: Hypocretin signaling during Sickness

Abstract: Sickness behavior is a coordinated set of adaptive behaviors initiated by increased inflammation. These behaviors including increased sleep, lethargy, and decreased feeding. The hypothalamus has been previously implicated in coordinating sickness behavior. Hypocretin, a neuropeptide produced exclusively in the hypothalamus, is involved in behaviors that are the opposite of sickness behaviors. My aim was to investigate what role hypocretin may play in sickness behavior.