SWC Hybrid Seminar: Understanding somatosensory and viscerosensory alterations in autism spectrum disorder

Abstract: 

The Orefice lab studies somatosensory and viscerosensory systems, with a focus on understanding how sensory circuits are altered in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, and surprisingly, the majority of autistic individuals experience sensory abnormalities and gastrointestinal problems but the neural circuit disruptions underlying these issues are not well understood. We identified that peripheral somatosensory neurons, outside the brain, are dysfunctional in multiple mouse models for ASD and contribute to the development of some of the major, core symptoms of ASD in mice. We are studying the development and function of peripheral sensory neurons that innervate the skin and gastrointestinal tract, and how this information is represented in the central nervous system. I will present ongoing work that aims to identify the mechanisms through which peripheral sensory neuron dysfunction contributes to autism-associated gastrointestinal problems, and how peripheral somatosensory neuron abnormalitites also lead to changes in cortical development, ultimately resulting in altered tactile and social behaviors in mouse models for ASD. 

Biography 

Lauren Orefice received her Ph.D. from Georgetown University, where she studied the role of local BDNF synthesis in dendritic spine morphogenesis under the guidance of Dr. Baoji Xu. For her postdoctoral work, Lauren joined Dr. David Ginty’s Lab at Harvard Medical School and focused on understanding somatosensory alterations in mouse models for autism spectrum disorders. Her work identified that peripheral somatosensory neurons, outside the brain, are dysfunctional in multiple mouse models for ASD and contribute to the development of some of the major, core symptoms of ASD in mice. Since 2019, Lauren is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. The Orefice lab studies the development and function of somatosensory and viscerosensory systems, with a focus on understanding how sensory circuits are altered in people with developmental disorders. Lauren has received numerous awards in recognition of her research, including the 2019 Eppendorf and Science Prize in Neurobiology, a 2020 Pew Scholar award, a 2020 Searle Scholar award, a 2021 New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Investigator award, a 2022 McKnight Scholar award, and a 2023 Kavli fellow award.