Gilles Vanwalleghem

Our gut is regulated by the enteric nervous system, and together with the gut microbiome, it constitutes the gut-brain axis. Imbalance in the gut-brain axis can lead to chronic inflammation, impact mental health and lead to a decreased quality of life.

Gilles Vanwalleghem says: This proposal will use a transparent fish to look at the enteric nervous system and inflammation in development. We will compare how the gut develops with or without microbiome in an inflammed state. We will look at how this inflammation could impact the gut and its function. On the other hand, the enteric nervous system can sense bacteria and guide inflammation, and we will develop mutants to better understand how this works. Finally, we will look at how all these factors can influence the social behavior of the fish, and if we can help the fish develop normal behaviors. The results will guide us in how and when we can best intervene on the gut to ensure good gut function and normal neurodevelopment.

Gilles Vanwalleghem moved from University of Queensland to Aarhus University in 2021. He is now employed as a team leader within Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE) and as Assistant Professor at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, where he will establish his independent research group from September 2023.