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Moke BI, Shipman ML, Lui S, Corbit L. Ceftriaxone reverses diet-induced deficits in goal-directed control. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06621-w. [PMID: 38822850 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06621-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Obesity is associated with numerous health risks and ever-increasing rates are a significant global concern. However, despite weight loss attempts many people have difficulty maintaining weight loss. Previous studies in animals have shown that chronic access to an obesogenic diet can disrupt goal-directed behavior, impairing the ability of animals to flexibly adjust food-seeking behavior following changes in the value of earned outcomes. Changes in behavioral control have been linked to disruption of glutamate transmission in the dorsal medial striatum (DMS), a region critical for the acquisition and expression of goal-directed behavior. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to test whether ceftriaxone, a beta-lactam antibiotic shown elsewhere to upregulate the expression of the glutamate transporter GLT-1, would improve goal-directed control following long-term exposure to an obesogenic diet. METHODS Male and female rats were given access to either standard chow or chow plus sweetened condensed milk (SCM) for 6 weeks. Access to SCM was ended and rats received daily injections of either ceftriaxone or saline for 6 days. Rats were then trained to press a lever to earn a novel food reward and, finally, were assessed for sensitivity to outcome devaluation. Histological analyses examined changes to GLT-1 protein levels and morphological changes to astrocytes, within the DMS. RESULTS We found that ceftriaxone robustly restored goal-directed behavior in animals following long-term exposure to SCM. While we did not observe changes in protein levels of GLT-1 in the DMS, we observed that SCM induced changes in the morphology of astrocytes in the DMS, and that ceftriaxone mitigated these changes. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that long-term access to a SCM diet impairs goal-directed behavior while also altering the morphology of astrocytes in the DMS. Furthermore, these results suggest that ceftriaxone administration can reverse the impairment of goal-directed behavior potentially through its actions on astrocytes in decision-making circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin-Israel Moke
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, ON, M5S 3G5, Toronto, Canada
| | - Megan L Shipman
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Simon Lui
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Laura Corbit
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, ON, M5S 3G5, Toronto, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
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Davis AB, Lloyd KR, Bollinger JL, Wohleb ES, Reyes TM. Adolescent high fat diet alters the transcriptional response of microglia in the prefrontal cortex in response to stressors in both male and female mice. Stress 2024; 27:2365864. [PMID: 38912878 PMCID: PMC11228993 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2365864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Both obesity and high fat diets (HFD) have been associated with an increase in inflammatory gene expression within the brain. Microglia play an important role in early cortical development and may be responsive to HFD, particularly during sensitive windows, such as adolescence. We hypothesized that HFD during adolescence would increase proinflammatory gene expression in microglia at baseline and potentiate the microglial stress response. Two stressors were examined, a physiological stressor [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), IP] and a psychological stressor [15 min restraint (RST)]. From 3 to 7 weeks of age, male and female mice were fed standard control diet (SC, 20% energy from fat) or HFD (60% energy from fat). On P49, 1 h before sacrifice, mice were randomly assigned to either stressor exposure or control conditions. Microglia from the frontal cortex were enriched using a Percoll density gradient and isolated via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), followed by RNA expression analysis of 30 genes (27 target genes, three housekeeping genes) using Fluidigm, a medium throughput qPCR platform. We found that adolescent HFD induced sex-specific transcriptional response in cortical microglia, both at baseline and in response to a stressor. Contrary to our hypothesis, adolescent HFD did not potentiate the transcriptional response to stressors in males, but rather in some cases, resulted in a blunted or absent response to the stressor. This was most apparent in males treated with LPS. However, in females, potentiation of the LPS response was observed for select proinflammatory genes, including Tnfa and Socs3. Further, HFD increased the expression of Itgam, Ikbkb, and Apoe in cortical microglia of both sexes, while adrenergic receptor expression (Adrb1 and Adra2a) was changed in response to stressor exposure with no effect of diet. These data identify classes of genes that are uniquely affected by adolescent exposure to HFD and different stressor modalities in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyshia B Davis
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kelsey R Lloyd
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Justin L Bollinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Eric S Wohleb
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Teresa M Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Ribeiro R, Silva EG, Moreira FC, Gomes GF, Cussat GR, Silva BSR, da Silva MCM, de Barros Fernandes H, de Sena Oliveira C, de Oliveira Guarnieri L, Lopes V, Ferreira CN, de Faria AMC, Maioli TU, Ribeiro FM, de Miranda AS, Moraes GSP, de Oliveira ACP, Vieira LB. Chronic hyperpalatable diet induces impairment of hippocampal-dependent memories and alters glutamatergic and fractalkine axis signaling. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16358. [PMID: 37773430 PMCID: PMC10541447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42955-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic consumption of hyperpalatable and hypercaloric foods has been pointed out as a factor associated with cognitive decline and memory impairment in obesity. In this context, the integration between peripheral and central inflammation may play a significant role in the negative effects of an obesogenic environment on memory. However, little is known about how obesity-related peripheral inflammation affects specific neurotransmission systems involved with memory regulation. Here, we test the hypothesis that chronic exposure to a highly palatable diet may cause neuroinflammation, glutamatergic dysfunction, and memory impairment. For that, we exposed C57BL/6J mice to a high sugar and butter diet (HSB) for 12 weeks, and we investigated its effects on behavior, glial reactivity, blood-brain barrier permeability, pro-inflammatory features, glutamatergic alterations, plasticity, and fractalkine-CX3CR1 axis. Our results revealed that HSB diet induced a decrease in memory reconsolidation and extinction, as well as an increase in hippocampal glutamate levels. Although our data indicated a peripheral pro-inflammatory profile, we did not observe hippocampal neuroinflammatory features. Furthermore, we also observed that the HSB diet increased hippocampal fractalkine levels, a key chemokine associated with neuroprotection and inflammatory regulation. Then, we hypothesized that the elevation on glutamate levels may saturate synaptic communication, partially limiting plasticity, whereas fractalkine levels increase as a strategy to decrease glutamatergic damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, ICB, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Ave. Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Emanuele Guimarães Silva
- Department of Immunology and Biochemistry, ICB, University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Felipe Caixeta Moreira
- Department of Immunology and Biochemistry, ICB, University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Giovanni Freitas Gomes
- Center of Research in Inflammatory Diseases, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Reis Cussat
- Department of Pharmacology, ICB, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Ave. Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Barbara Stehling Ramos Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, ICB, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Ave. Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina Machado da Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, ICB, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Ave. Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Brazil
| | | | - Carolina de Sena Oliveira
- Department of Pharmacology, ICB, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Ave. Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Brazil
| | | | - Victoria Lopes
- Colégio Técnico, University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Tatiani Uceli Maioli
- Department of Immunology and Biochemistry, ICB, University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fabíola Mara Ribeiro
- Department of Immunology and Biochemistry, ICB, University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Luciene Bruno Vieira
- Department of Pharmacology, ICB, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Ave. Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Brazil.
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Roach KA, Kodali V, Shoeb M, Meighan T, Kashon M, Stone S, McKinney W, Erdely A, Zeidler-Erdely PC, Roberts JR, Antonini JM. Examination of the exposome in an animal model: The impact of high fat diet and rat strain on local and systemic immune markers following occupational welding fume exposure. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2023; 464:116436. [PMID: 36813138 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of multiple exposomal factors (genetics, lifestyle factors, environmental/occupational exposures) on pulmonary inflammation and corresponding alterations in local/systemic immune parameters. Accordingly, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Brown Norway (BN) rats were maintained on either regular (Reg) or high fat (HF) diets for 24wk. Welding fume (WF) exposure (inhalation) occurred between 7 and 12wk. Rats were euthanized at 7, 12, and 24wk to evaluate local and systemic immune markers corresponding to the baseline, exposure, and recovery phases of the study, respectively. At 7wk, HF-fed animals exhibited several immune alterations (blood leukocyte/neutrophil number, lymph node B-cell proportionality)-effects which were more pronounced in SD rats. Indices of lung injury/inflammation were elevated in all WF-exposed animals at 12wk; however, diet appeared to preferentially impact SD rats at this time point, as several inflammatory markers (lymph node cellularity, lung neutrophils) were further elevated in HF over Reg animals. Overall, SD rats exhibited the greatest capacity for recovery by 24wk. In BN rats, resolution of immune alterations was further compromised by HF diet, as many exposure-induced alterations in local/systemic immune markers were still evident in HF/WF animals at 24wk. Collectively, HF diet appeared to have a greater impact on global immune status and exposure-induced lung injury in SD rats, but a more pronounced effect on inflammation resolution in BN rats. These results illustrate the combined impact of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors in modulating immunological responsivity and emphasize the importance of the exposome in shaping biological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Roach
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch (ACIB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA.
| | - V Kodali
- Pathology and Physiology Research Branch (PPRB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - M Shoeb
- Pathology and Physiology Research Branch (PPRB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - T Meighan
- Pathology and Physiology Research Branch (PPRB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - M Kashon
- Bioanalytics Branch (BB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - S Stone
- Physical Effects Research Branch (PERB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - W McKinney
- Physical Effects Research Branch (PERB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - A Erdely
- Pathology and Physiology Research Branch (PPRB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - P C Zeidler-Erdely
- Pathology and Physiology Research Branch (PPRB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - J R Roberts
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch (ACIB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - J M Antonini
- Pathology and Physiology Research Branch (PPRB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, USA
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Elzinga SE, Henn R, Murdock BJ, Kim B, Hayes JM, Mendelson F, Webber-Davis I, Teener S, Pacut C, Lentz SI, Feldman EL. cGAS/STING and innate brain inflammation following acute high-fat feeding. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1012594. [PMID: 36248795 PMCID: PMC9556783 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1012594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes are growing in prevalence worldwide. These metabolic disorders are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease related dementias. Innate inflammatory signaling plays a critical role in this association, potentially via the early activation of the cGAS/STING pathway. To determine acute systemic metabolic and inflammatory responses and corresponding changes in the brain, we used a high fat diet fed obese mouse model of prediabetes and cognitive impairment. We observed acute systemic changes in metabolic and inflammatory responses, with impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and alterations in peripheral immune cell populations. Central inflammatory changes included microglial activation in a pro-inflammatory environment with cGAS/STING activation. Blocking gap junctions in neuron-microglial co-cultures significantly decreased cGAS/STING activation. Collectively these studies suggest a role for early activation of the innate immune system both peripherally and centrally with potential inflammatory crosstalk between neurons and glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Elzinga
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Rosemary Henn
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Benjamin J. Murdock
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Bhumsoo Kim
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - John M. Hayes
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Faye Mendelson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Ian Webber-Davis
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Sam Teener
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Crystal Pacut
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stephen I. Lentz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Eva L. Feldman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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High-fat diet causes mechanical allodynia in the absence of injury or diabetic pathology. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14840. [PMID: 36050326 PMCID: PMC9437006 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18281-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the interactions between diet, obesity, and diabetes is important to tease out mechanisms in painful pathology. Western diet is rich in fats, producing high amounts of circulating bioactive metabolites. However, no research has assessed how a high-fat diet (HFD) alone may sensitize an individual to non-painful stimuli in the absence of obesity or diabetic pathology. To investigate this, we tested the ability of a HFD to stimulate diet-induced hyperalgesic priming, or diet sensitization in male and female mice. Our results revealed that 8 weeks of HFD did not alter baseline pain sensitivity, but both male and female HFD-fed animals exhibited robust mechanical allodynia when exposed to a subthreshold dose of intraplantar Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) compared to mice on chow diet. Furthermore, calcium imaging in isolated primary sensory neurons of both sexes revealed HFD induced an increased percentage of capsaicin-responsive neurons compared to their chow counterparts. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed a HFD-induced upregulation of ATF3, a neuronal marker of injury, in lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG). This suggests that a HFD induces allodynia in the absence of a pre-existing condition or injury via dietary components. With this new understanding of how a HFD can contribute to the onset of pain, we can understand the dissociation behind the comorbidities associated with obesity and diabetes to develop pharmacological interventions to treat them more efficiently.
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Fabianová K, Babeľová J, Fabian D, Popovičová A, Martončíková M, Raček A, Račeková E. Maternal High-Energy Diet during Pregnancy and Lactation Impairs Neurogenesis and Alters the Behavior of Adult Offspring in a Phenotype-Dependent Manner. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105564. [PMID: 35628378 PMCID: PMC9146615 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is one of the biggest and most costly health challenges the modern world encounters. Substantial evidence suggests that the risk of metabolic syndrome or obesity formation may be affected at a very early stage of development, in particular through fetal and/or neonatal overfeeding. Outcomes from epidemiological studies indicate that maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation has a profound impact on adult neurogenesis in the offspring. In the present study, an intergenerational dietary model employing overfeeding of experimental mice during prenatal and early postnatal development was applied to acquire mice with various body conditions. We investigated the impact of the maternal high-energy diet during pregnancy and lactation on adult neurogenesis in the olfactory neurogenic region involving the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the rostral migratory stream (RMS) and some behavioral tasks including memory, anxiety and nociception. Our findings show that a maternal high-energy diet administered during pregnancy and lactation modifies proliferation and differentiation, and induced degeneration of cells in the SVZ/RMS of offspring, but only in mice where extreme phenotype, such as significant overweight/adiposity or obesity is manifested. Thereafter, a maternal high-energy diet enhances anxiety-related behavior in offspring regardless of its body condition and impairs learning and memory in offspring with an extreme phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Fabianová
- Institute of Neurobiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.R.); (E.R.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Janka Babeľová
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (J.B.); (D.F.)
| | - Dušan Fabian
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (J.B.); (D.F.)
| | - Alexandra Popovičová
- Institute of Neurobiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.R.); (E.R.)
| | - Marcela Martončíková
- Institute of Neurobiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.R.); (E.R.)
| | - Adam Raček
- Institute of Neurobiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.R.); (E.R.)
| | - Enikő Račeková
- Institute of Neurobiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.R.); (E.R.)
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Kentner AC, Harden L, de Melo Soares D, Rummel C. Editorial commentary on the special issue emerging psychoneuroimmunology research: Future leaders in focus. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 20:100423. [PMID: 35169756 PMCID: PMC8829553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The theme of this BBI-Health special issue is to promote the research, creativity and forward-thinking of future key opinion leaders in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). We asked contributing researchers to identify new ideas and spaces for innovation to map out the future trajectory of our discipline. This special issue provides global and diverse views from early career investigators focused on science, society, and/or policy, with an emphasis on diversity in all its aspects. The common thread weaving through the articles contained in this special issue is that all authors were invited to consider the future of PNI while they were experiencing the global COVID-19 lockdowns that slowed down or even prevented them from access to their “hands-on” research. The contributors vary from Master level to assistant professors, and all have already significantly contributed to the field of PNI. Each contributor has provided a photograph and short biography alongside their written perspectives. We hope that you will enjoy learning about their visions for the future of PNI and will join us with enthusiasm as we watch our field grow through the advancement of their scientific careers.
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