The Betley Lab at UPenn
@betleylab.bsky.social
The Betley lab at Penn is focused on understanding how signaling between the body and the brain control our needs and behaviors that add up to influence our overall health. Applications in #metabolism, #feeding, #pain, #addiction and #mentalhealth
Excited to share a recent national geographic article on the brain and exercise that highlights our research! Super grateful to Bethany Brookshire for her enthusiastic, tireless, and thoughtful article. www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
Want to get stronger? Your brain may matter more than muscles, new research shows
Studies on the neurons of mice suggest our own human endurance may have more to do with the brain than our physique.
nationalgeographic.com
Thanks to Nathi Magubane and the Penn Today team for the write up on our recent study! We are excited to see where this leads! penntoday.upenn.edu/news/no-brai...
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise | Penn Today
Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to...
penntoday.upenn.edu
🧠🏃 New in Neuron (open access): “Exercise-induced activation of VMH SF1 neurons mediates improvements in endurance” Finally able to share what we learned about the brain & exercise 🧵
This is your brain. This is your brain on exercise. This dataset collected over 5 years ago captivated our neuroscience lab.
What’s brewing in the Betley Lab at UPenn? ☕️🧠 Thrilled to welcome Elisa Caffrey! Elisa studies fermented foods and the microbes/metabolites they produce—how do they shape our bodies and brains after we eat? Excited for this new frontier!
The gut isn’t just for digestion. It is a sensory organ that reports our internal state to the brain in real time. Our Neuron review explores “intestinal interoception”: how gut signals tune physiology + behavior.
Out today – our newest study on how the brain processes and filters signals of pain! www.nature.com/articles/s41... Summary written by Nathi Magubane penntoday.upenn.edu/news/its-all...
A parabrachial hub for need-state control of enduring pain - Nature
Activity in a set of parabranchial neurons in the mouse brain is increased during chronic pain, predicts coping behaviour, and can be modulated by circuits activated by survival threats.
nature.com
What's next for the #BetleyLab? We're diving deep into #EXERCISE! 🏃♀️💪 Our emerging studies show exercise doesn't just change your body – it literally rewires brain circuits and impacts #dopamine response. It’s a whole new world of #body-brain interaction. Stay tuned !
In our first study incorporating human data we identified new role for the cerebellum! We found a cerebellar output circuit that is activated only when individuals are hungry and helps control meal size. Even more parts of the brain regulate hunger and satiety!
One of the #BeltleyLab's most surprising discoveries? Hunger can act as a natural painkiller! 🤯We found that being hungry suppresses long-term, chronic pain signals without affecting your response to acute danger (like a hot stove).
A look back at the #BetleyLab origins! We started by asking: how does your brain know you're eating? We found the gut signals the brain within SECONDS of food arriving – even without you tasting it! This rapid #gutbrainaxis communication is key to controlling hunger 🧠🍽️
This summer, the #BetleyLab at @upenn.edu celebrated 10 years of exploring the fascinating dialogue between the body and the brain 🧠<>💪 From hunger to exercise, it's been an incredible decade of discovery. Follow along as we share some highlights over the next couple of weeks!