Research groups
Colleges
Fernando Messore
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Research interests
My research interests reside in understanding the cortical processes that underlie Cognition and Body-Brain interactions. Significant associations between cardiometabolic and nervous system disorders have been documented. The main focus of my research is to understand the bi-directional pathways between the central nervous system and peripheral organs, and how the brain influences metabolic processes and how metabolic processes influence the brain.
Biography
I obtained my Medical Degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 2017. I was fortunate to be able to contribute to several studies during my undergraduate under the supervision of Prof Alicia Brusco, where we focused on the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol and cannabinoids.
In late 2017, I was awarded a scholarship from the Deutsche Akademisches Austauschdienst (DAAD) to pursue an MSc in Biomedical sciences in a joint program between the university of Buenos Aires and the University of Freiburg. Under the supervision of Dr Pierre Levan, I explored how the activation patterns of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex were temporally organized in healthy individuals, in distinct scenarios such as fear, anger and surprise. I continued my education with a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Bonn, working at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behaviour with Dr Oberlaender. There my research focused on the anatomical and functional organization of thalamocortical projections on the cerebral cortex, specifically on the GABAergic population of the deep layers of the somatosensory cortex.
In 2023, I joined Prof Zoltan Molnar and Prof Ed Mann at DPAG to study neurobiological substrates underlying neurodevelopmental conditions, such as anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit disorders (ADHD). To achieve that, I have been working on elucidating the interplay between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, such as orexin, dopamine and serotonin in the activation of prefrontal cortical networks, and their consequent behavioural changes. In 2026 I joined Prof. Ana Domingos to study the role of the autonomic nervous system in regulating general metabolism. I explore the interplay between the sympathetic neurons of the autonomic system and the peripheral organs, and how they influence each other to maintain homeostasis.