CHRIS FIELDS

Graduate Student

My research focuses on how the innate immune system mediates gut-to-brain control of anxiety and compulsive behavior. Toward this end, I study how differing types of immune challenge uniquely affect behavior, using big data to profile behavioral syndromes. In my graduate project, I am studying the behavioral effects of gut-derived lipopolysaccharide, which coats the outer surface of gram negative bacteria-a major component of the gut microbiome. My overall goal is to understand the connections between gut microbiota, host immunity (including sex differences therein), and host behavior to develop tractable gut-based treatments to behavioral disorders.