Neural and hormonal control of visceral systems

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My overall research interests lie within the field of insect neurobiology/physiology. I am interested in the means by which the reproductive system, and indeed, other insect visceral muscle systems, are regulated and integrated by both neural and hormonal signals. To this end my research laboratory has developed model systems in which we have identified the motor and modulatory input onto tissues associated with the reproductive systems of the agricultural pest, Locusta migratoria, and in the medically-important vector of Chagas' disease, Rhodnius prolixus. Neuroactive substances have been identified associated with the innervation of the reproductive system and have also been shown to be associated with the digestive and the circulatory system. There is an integral link between these systems since the nutritional state of the insect influences the reproductive state, and the heart circulates nutrient and neurohormones throughout the insect.