Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
@brainbodylab.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @MountSinaiPsych ▪Brain+Vagus+Body interactions in stress, fear and energy metabolism Lab ▪Yoga teacher▪
https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/karkilab/
Nepal/UofM/UW-Mad/UCLA/Sinai
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known"🧠🌌-CS
https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/karkilab/
Nepal/UofM/UW-Mad/UCLA/Sinai
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known"🧠🌌-CS
January 21, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Always so lovely and nostalgic in a good way to see and spend time with you Sofiya. Thank you for inviting me 🤗
January 16, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Always so lovely and nostalgic in a good way to see and spend time with you Sofiya. Thank you for inviting me 🤗
14. Grateful to the team, especially Prashant Rajbhandari, and excited for where this work leads.
Breathing is not just for survival, it is a gateway into whole-body regulation! 🙏
Breathing is not just for survival, it is a gateway into whole-body regulation! 🙏
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
14. Grateful to the team, especially Prashant Rajbhandari, and excited for where this work leads.
Breathing is not just for survival, it is a gateway into whole-body regulation! 🙏
Breathing is not just for survival, it is a gateway into whole-body regulation! 🙏
13. And to funding resources, we do need to support holistic, cross-system research that connects brain, body, behavior, and metabolism as it is key to understanding health and healing.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
13. And to funding resources, we do need to support holistic, cross-system research that connects brain, body, behavior, and metabolism as it is key to understanding health and healing.
12. Sharing this especially for trainees: funding may be uncertain, but bold, integrative ideas matter. Curiosity-driven science is still worth pursuing.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
12. Sharing this especially for trainees: funding may be uncertain, but bold, integrative ideas matter. Curiosity-driven science is still worth pursuing.
11. We pursued it anyway, thanks to incredible support from colleagues and trainees at Mount Sinai.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
11. We pursued it anyway, thanks to incredible support from colleagues and trainees at Mount Sinai.
10. On a personal note: this was not an easy path. I started my lab during COVID-19 and shifted into a completely new research direction after ~14 years of amygdala-centered work.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
10. On a personal note: this was not an easy path. I started my lab during COVID-19 and shifted into a completely new research direction after ~14 years of amygdala-centered work.
9. There is still much to explore, but this work opens new directions in brain–body physiology and how stress reshapes systemic metabolism.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
9. There is still much to explore, but this work opens new directions in brain–body physiology and how stress reshapes systemic metabolism.
8. This points to a broader framework where breathing circuits coordinate stress, metabolism, and behavior, far beyond respiration alone.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
8. This points to a broader framework where breathing circuits coordinate stress, metabolism, and behavior, far beyond respiration alone.
7. Even more surprising, the preBötzinger complex doesn’t only project to the lungs. It also connects to brown adipose tissue and liver, with PAC1 signaling influencing glucose regulation.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
7. Even more surprising, the preBötzinger complex doesn’t only project to the lungs. It also connects to brown adipose tissue and liver, with PAC1 signaling influencing glucose regulation.
6. What we found:PAC1 deletion worsened fear expression, reduced oxygen levels, and disrupted heart rate regulation
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
6. What we found:PAC1 deletion worsened fear expression, reduced oxygen levels, and disrupted heart rate regulation
5. We tested whether deleting PAC1 receptors in the preBötzinger would affect not just breathing, but fear expression and whole-body physiology.
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 PM
5. We tested whether deleting PAC1 receptors in the preBötzinger would affect not just breathing, but fear expression and whole-body physiology.