Dr Dan Thorpe

Research Focus:

My research interests are focused on the gut-brain axis and understanding how changes in luminal content such as food intake, long term dietary changes, enteric viruses and bacteria, and the gut microbiota are associated with a myriad of conditions and diseases. Specifically, my research is mainly focused on understanding how gut sensing cells, enteroendocrine cells, interact with and respond to their local gut environment, how they signal to the brain in response to changes in this environment, and how higher order bodily functions are altered by this gut-brain pathway.

Education and Work Experience:

I completed my Ph.D. training in identifying the mechanisms underpinning the damage following cancer treatments, with studies investigating the microbiome, inflammatory cytokines, the mucus barrier, and the enteric nervous system. After completing my Ph.D., I undertook a teaching-focused role, and subsequently, I resumed my research career with Prof Damien Keating in the Gut Sensory Systems Lab, focusing on the bidirectional signalling pathway between the gut and the brain.