Home Department: Biology
Mentor: Eric Gross (Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine)

“From Alcohol to Anesthesia: Linking Metabolic Pathways to Anesthetic Mechanisms"

This project explores the mechanism of anesthesia through insights from alcohol metabolism, focusing on the relationship between anesthesia and the FGF21 protein. FGF21 helps to counteract the effects of alcohol intoxication by stimulating arousal and alertness. Given that volatile anesthetics share similar molecular pathways of activation relative to alcohol that suppress the central nervous system, the Gross lab would like to understand whether FGF21 can counteract general anesthesia and be used as a novel therapeutic to reverse general anesthesia. This research bridges foundational knowledge of protein biology and metabolism with potential advancements in anesthetic drug design and clinical applications.