The Neurobiology
of Interoception
We study how the brain and body communicate with each other, with a focus on understanding how feedback signals from the internal organs influence learning and memory systems in the brain. We are located in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Utah. Opening Jan 2026.
Our research brings together tools and perspectives from a wide range of disciplines with the goal of understanding the fundamental principles that govern body–brain communication.
We are especially interested in discovering how sensory signals from the internal organs are represented in the brain — and how these interoceptive representations contribute to cognitive processes like reward, motivation, learning, and memory.
Our lab uses the gut–brain axis and feeding behavior as a powerful model system (with clinical relevance to obesity and eating disorders) for investigating these questions.
Neural circuits
and dynamics
We use high-density Neuropixels recordings, brain-wide light sheet imaging, and other circuit tools to record and perturb neural dynamics in mice.
Computational
modeling
We use machine learning tools and statistical models to identify structure in neural and behavioral data. We use RNN models to test how different learning algorithms could be implemented in the brain.
Body–brain
physiology
We use targeted genetic and anatomical tools to precisely manipulate the sensory signals that arise from the GI tract during feeding and digestion.
Biochemistry
and genomics
We use in vivo biochemical imaging and single-cell sequencing tools to study how feeding impacts the intracellular signaling pathways that promote plasticity and learning.
We are recruiting at all levels!
We are a new lab in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. We are looking for creative and enthusiastic scientists to join our team!
Prospective postdoctoral fellows should email a CV, cover letter, and three references to zimmerman@neuro.utah.edu.
Prospective PhD students should apply to the University of Utah’s Neuroscience PhD Program or Molecular Biology PhD Program. First-year PhD students interested in rotating in the lab should email zimmerman@neuro.utah.edu.
Prospective research assistants should email a CV and cover letter to zimmerman@neuro.utah.edu. This would be an ideal position for recent college graduates looking to gain research experience before applying to PhD programs.