Unravelling the brain circuits linking emotions and heart rate variability.

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We are all familiar with the rapid breathing and heart pounding that occurs when we are frightened. Is the feeling of panic because we sense our heart pounding, or does our heart pound because we panic? This age-old question has resisted attempts to understand its neurobiological basis. This project aims to address this lack of knowledge using novel cutting-edge neuroscience methods that enable mapping of connected brain pathways and the ability to change the activity of specific brain cells with millisecond time resolution. The project will identify, and functionally characterise, the link between the heart and emotions, to gain new insights into the interaction between the autonomic nervous system and disordered emotional regulation.