We have made important contributions to the understanding of how systemic inflammation and inflammatory pain induce a negative affective state. Continuing along these lines of research, we now focus on the role of microglia, serotonergic neurons and the melanocortin systems as critical neural substrates for aversive and depressive signaling.
We hope that our research will both generate findings interesting from a scientific perspective and be useful for developing strategies towards the reduction of suffering in sick individuals.