The brain plays a pivotal role in regulating the internal state of the human body. Stability of the bodily environment is dependent on multiple processes controlled by the brain including neurohumoral responses, interoceptive sensations and regulatory behaviours. Investigating how the brain controls the internal state has considerable potential to provide insights into processes that sustain or challenge our health.

I use functional brain imaging techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), perfusion-related fMRI and positron emission tomography to investigate brain responses in humans associated with interoceptive sensations (pain, urge-to-cough, thirst, temperature sensation), regulatory behaviours (drinking water, coughing and cough suppression), and autonomic responses (thermoregulatory-related vasomotor and sudomotor responses).