– Changes in neural and hormonal gut-brain communication brought about by gastric bypass surgery; particularly the mechanisms by which bariatric surgery alleviates obesity-related impairments of taste and reward functions, and conversely, increases substance use such as alcohol and opioid misuse.
– The role of neural plasticity in the hindbrain-striato-cortical systems shaping behavioral responses to food (sweet and fatty foods) and drug reward (alcohol and morphine) in response to altered gastro-intestinal neuro-hormonal signals.
– The effects of diabetes and obesity on brain functions with respect to brain areas and transmitter systems that integrate orosensory, viscerosensory and motivational processes regulating meal-size and food preferences.
– Neural and hormonal improvements following bariatric surgery in restoring taste and autonomic functions in a rat model of spinal cord injury.