The Moon Lab investigates how the body senses internal and external signals to maintain homeostasis, a process that is essential for health.
Our research centers on two fundamental biological questions. First, we study how the brain integrates sensory information and internal energy states to decide what and when to eat. Second, we explore how naturally produced molecules in the body regulate physiological functions and contribute to health and disease.
Taste and Health Using Drosophila and Mammals
Taste is a specialized sensory system that allows animals to distinguish what is safe to eat from what should be avoided. Feeding decisions are primarily guided by taste, but they are also influenced by other sensory inputs such as smell and food texture, as well as internal states like hunger or specific nutrient deficiencies.
Using fruit flies (Drosophila) and mammalian systems, we investigate how taste signals are integrated with other sensory information and internal physiological states to control feeding behavior. These studies help us understand how sensory systems guide everyday decisions and maintain metabolic balance.
Importantly, taste does more than simply act as a gatekeeper for food intake. Taste receptors are found not only in the mouth but also throughout the body, where they play important roles in regulating physiological homeostasis. Our lab explores the functions of these ectopic taste receptors to better understand how taste-related signaling contributes to whole-body health.
Discovery of the Roles of Steroid Sulfates in Human Physiology
Steroid sulfates are naturally occurring modified forms of steroid hormones. For a long time, they were thought to be inactive storage forms that serve only as precursors to active hormones. However, growing evidence suggests that some steroid sulfates have biological activities of their own.
Our laboratory aims to uncover the physiological and disease-related roles of steroid sulfates, with a particular focus on metabolism and cardiovascular function. By combining human genetics, cell-based models, and animal studies, we seek to identify new signaling functions of steroid sulfates. Ultimately, our goal is to translate these basic discoveries into new therapeutic strategies for human disease.