Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
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brainbodylab.bsky.social
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
“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives…. on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

-the Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan ✨🌏
November 9, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
NEW STUDY! Building on pioneering work by Dr. Alison Goate, an international team of researchers, led by #IcahnMountSinai's Anne Schaefer, ID'd distinct population of neuroprotective #Microglia that may point to new therapeutic approach for #Alzheimers. @nature.com 👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 5, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Does pounding of your heart makes you feel afraid, or does the feeling of fear cause your heart to race?

The Cannon-Bard and James-Lange theories have shaped a century of debate about emotion and physiology.

Biologically, the brain and body dialogue is dynamic, continuous, and bi-directional!
November 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
Some spiritual traditions believe the 'self' as a coherent, enduring entity to be an illusion, there is also a tangible 'bodily self' that forms the basis of this notion through somatosensation.

Fascinating Primer by Pattrick Haggard and @mattlongo.bsky.social

www.cell.com/current-biol...
October 30, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
The #brain is often viewed as rather separate from the rest of body. One way it is separated somewhat is the BBB — the blood-brain-barrier.

Fabulous primer by @axelmontagne.bsky.social and Audrey Chagnot

www.cell.com/current-biol...
The blood–brain barrier
Here, Audrey Chagnot and Axel Montagne discuss the structural and functional features of the blood–brain barrier and the association of its disruption with various pathologies.
www.cell.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
October 29, 2025 at 3:06 PM
📣We are hiring! 📣 
Join us as a Postdoctoral Researcher to study brain–body interactions uncovering how neural and physiological systems regulate behavior and energy metabolism under stress!

Details are below:
📩 abha.rajbhandari@mssm.edu
🔗 careers.mountsinai.org/jobs/3032214
Postdoctoral Fellow-MSH-13400-363 in New York, NY | Mount Sinai Health Systems
Mount Sinai is hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow-MSH-13400-363 in New York, NY. Review all of the job details and apply today!
careers.mountsinai.org
October 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM
This Lancet Neurology article emphasizes that lifestyle interventions like physical activity, nutrition, sleep quality and stress management are important for symptom management and disease modification in Parkinson’s disease.

Lifestyle is not just fringe!

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
October 25, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
"The way forward has become very clear"- Dr. Brendan G. Carr
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to @ericjnestler.bsky.social named Anne & Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine. We’re thrilled about the exciting new direction Icahn Mount Sinai will take under Dr. Nestler's visionary leadership!
October 23, 2025 at 9:39 PM
A hypothalamus-brainstem-heart circuit regulated by oxytocin on heart rate variability. Another cool brain-body work! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Oxytocin modulates respiratory heart rate variability through a hypothalamus–brainstem–heart neuronal pathway - Nature Neuroscience
Buron et al. show that oxytocin enhances heart rate variability linked to breathing during recovery from stress. This calming and cardio-protective effect is produced through a hypothalamus–brainstem ...
www.nature.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Such a nice collection of brain-body interaction articles in the special issue of @currentbiology.bsky.social. Love the beautiful vagus nerve on the cover by Andreas Vesalius www.cell.com/current-biol...
October 22, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
Our Primer on Sickness and the Brain: how are inflammatory signals and the brain coordinate to make us sick?
in the new issue of Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...
together with @Zuri A. Sullivan
Sickness and the brain
Zuri Sullivan and Catherine Dulac discuss the reciprocal communication between the brain and the immune system in sickness behavior.
www.cell.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Happy #Diwali to all who celebrate! First public school holiday in NYC. 🪔✨

Diwali reminds us to shine our inner light, illuminating wisdom and dispelling the darkness of ego, division, and ignorance.

In Nepal, during Diwali the friendship and love of dogs is also celebrated.
October 21, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Amazing work by @jun and team 🙌
Just out in Nature! “The astrocytic ensemble acts as a multiday trace to stabilize memory.” We identified astrocytic ensembles that link experiences across days to stabilize memory nature.com/articles/s41.... New astrocyte tools are openly available at Addgene: addgene.org/Jun_Nagai/. 1/8
October 15, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
Brain–body states as a link between cardiovascular and mental health
doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
#neuroskyence
October 14, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
It is #WorldMentalHealthDay and been reflecting that mental health is a whole #brainbody ecosystem shaped by how we eat, sleep, connect, move, move, and live.

Science and ancient wisdom agree: we can’t separate mind, body, or environment. Healing begins where biology meets connection. 🙏
October 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
It was so fun sharing with Equinox about the importance of heart health for brain health. Brain-body connections are critical for health, well-being and vitality ✨ #brainbody. Thank you for sharing @sinaibrain.bsky.social
❤️Cardio exercise has long been touted for its health benefits. Research suggests having good cardiovascular fitness is connected to better #BrainHealth & cognitive functioning as you age. Weighing In ✨ Dr. Abha Karki Rajbhandari @brainbodylab.bsky.social. Equinox 👉 www.equinox.com/articles/202...
October 8, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Academic path isn’t easy, but the joy of discovery, finding possibilities for healing and mentoring trainees keeps me going. Celebrating submitting two manuscripts on brain–body stress interactions & a master’s thesis defense. Grateful to my lab & special thanks to @neuromanonyc.bsky.social 🙏✨
October 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
I'm thrilled to share that our new paper is now published in Psychophysiology (Open Access):
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

@zacndr.bsky.social @teamlabuda.bsky.social @fraferri.bsky.social @danlikesbrains.bsky.social
September 26, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Reposted by Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
Save the date 📆. On Oct 22/23, @nationalacademies.org will hold a stellar virtual workshop on brain/body interations (open to all).

www.nationalacademies.org/en/our-work/...
September 26, 2025 at 6:55 PM
So amazing that our graduate student Sanutha Shetty presented her work on the role of #breathing circuits on stress-related cardiometabolic outcomes at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Retreat and won a best trainee talk award! @sinaibrain.bsky.social 🙌
September 26, 2025 at 12:51 AM
William James saw the brain as a filter of bodily signals shaping thought, memory and emotion. That psychological processes require bodily input, brain processing and then action. A century later, science has come full circle to this same mind–body insight! #mindbodyconnection
September 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Nepal stands at a new turning point and a bold new chapter. With its first female Prime Minister and a parliament dissolved by the youth to form a new government against corruption and inequality, this moment is exemplary! Hopeful for Nepal. 🙏
September 12, 2025 at 4:19 PM