Why do we get sick? Sickness behaviors are not just symptoms; they are active defenses. Coughing or vomiting, for example, helps expel harmful invaders. But how does the body know to cough when viruses infect the lungs, or vomit when bacteria invade the gut, often within minutes? The answer might be that your nerves, not just your white blood cells, are the first to detect danger.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Minyoo will explore whether peripheral nerves can identify germs and alert us to fight back. This work could redefine the immune system and help develop treatments to reduce sickness in infections.
With this research, Minyoo aims to reconceptualize nerves as immune sensors with built-in germ detectors, rather than merely signal carriers.
Minyoo will pivot from Neuroscience to Immunology