Turn it off and on again - exploiting brain hibernation circuits to improve outcomes in critical illness

Torpor (a brief hibernation) is a remarkable phenomenon exhibited by many animals. It is characterised by extreme physiology including lowered body temperature and heart rate, and immune modulation. As a protective state, torpor is of interest for many clinical and space medicine applications. This project will use mice to characterise the brain circuits that generate each physiological component of torpor to identify potential targets for human medicine and beyond.