What’s all the fuss about glia? Until recently, little was known about these specialized cells in the human gut, but they are turning out to be valuable to human health. Michigan State University researcher Brian Gulbransen and his lab are making new discoveries about glial cells that may lead to better treatments for a collection of disorders known as “disorders of gut-brain interaction,” which affects roughly 40 percent of people. The most common example of this type of disorder is irritable bowel syndrome.
Gulbransen, an MSU Research Foundation Professor in the Department of Physiology and a member of MSU’s Neuroscience Program, has been selected for an American Physiological Society Distinguished Lectureship with the award of the Raj and Prem Goyal Lectureship in Pathophysiology of Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. The award, offered by APS and the Gastrointestinal and Liver section, recognizes exemplary contributions of research in physiology in understanding the mechanism and treatment of gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Associate professors or recently promoted full professors who are APS members are eligible to apply.
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