Dr. Natalia Machado

My research focuses on the underlying mechanisms by which the brain produces adaptive responses to physiological and behavioral stressors. During my Ph.D., I discovered that stress fever depends upon neurons in the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus that innervate medullary circuits for heat production and cutaneous blushing (Machado et al., Curr Biol, 2018). As a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Saper lab, I found that preoptic neurons that are glutamatergic and express the EP3 prostaglandin receptor are necessary for fever generation (Machado et al., J Neurosci, 2020; Saper & Machado, Nature, 2020). I also demonstrated that inhibitory preoptic neurons promote sleep by regulating the homeostatic sleep drive, while excitatory ones protect against stress-induced insomnia (Machado et al., Curr Biol, 2022). I have recently examined how animals can lower their body temperature and metabolism in response to food scarcity and harsh weather conditions to enter a torpor or hibernation state (Machado & Saper, Temperature, 2021; Saper & Machado, Temperature, 2022; Machado et al., 2023).

 

Leveraging the knowledge I obtained in the past years about the identity of neurons that control body temperature, fever, energy expenditure and sleep in mice, my current studies aim to modulate body temperature for therapeutic purposes, and reveal central pathways by which physiological and emotional stressors intervene in sleep regulation, thermoregulatory control and metabolism.

 

In my laboratory environment, I mentor students, research assistants and postdocs from diverse backgrounds and teach them basic as well as cutting-edge techniques applied to neuroscience studies. I also had a formal teaching fellow position at Harvard College to teach undergraduate students about how sleep affects health, performance, safety, and society. These experiences made me develop an extraordinary enthusiasm for mentoring students and research fellows on how to navigate academia and thrive academically.

 

In addition to my roles in research and teaching, I am an active member of The Joint Committee on the Status of Woman – “a community of women and men who strive to make the working environment better for all”. I also enjoy interactions with the lay community to communicate my science and the work performed by my peers.