Dr. Stocker is a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He earned a PhD degree in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh followed by a fellowship in Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. The laboratory explores how the central nervous system senses neurohumoral signals to regulate body fluid homeostasis and cardiovascular function. These sensory signals arise from the circulation, cerebrospinal fluid, or local environments within a peripheral tissue. Unique sensory neurons transmit this information to hypothalamic integration centers to coordinate changes in behavior, neuroendocrine function, and the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The laboratory uses a number of approaches including in vivo neurophysiology, in vitro electrophysiology, opto- and chemo-genetics, in vivo cardiovascular monitoring, and translational studies in humans.