How the brain links tastes to feelings of nausea
Official title: Cross-region neural mechanisms that support conditioned taste aversion
Funded at Princeton University · NIH-10983804 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how mice learn to connect new food tastes with feelings of sickness, focusing on how their brains react during this process, especially in a part of the brain that deals with emotions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | December 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $169,619 |
| NIH project number | 5K99DA059957-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10983804 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals interested in the neurological basis of taste and eating behaviors, particularly those who may experience issues related to food aversion.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have any interest in or issues related to taste aversion or eating behaviors may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how animals, specifically mice, learn to associate the taste of new foods with feelings of nausea that occur after eating. By examining brain activity during drinking and the subsequent postingestive effects, the study aims to identify the neural mechanisms involved in this learning process. The researchers will focus on the amygdala, a brain region known for its role in emotional responses, to understand how it represents flavors and how these representations are activated when the body signals malaise. This approach involves advanced techniques like high-density Neuropixels recordings to capture brain activity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better understanding of how taste aversion works, potentially informing treatments for eating disorders or obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in understanding neural mechanisms of taste aversion, but this specific approach using advanced recording techniques is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Princeton University
Princeton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zimmerman, Christopher — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Zimmerman, Christopher
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.