image: Eric G. Krause is a Georgia State University professor of neuroscience and a Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator. Krause's research identifies novel therapeutic targets for a variety of disease conditions, including hypertension, obesity and mental health disorders.
Credit: Courtesy: Georgia State University
ATLANTA — Georgia State Professor of Neuroscience and Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator Eric G. Krause has been awarded the Carl Ludwig Distinguished Lectureship by the American Physiological Society.
Krause is an internationally recognized neuroscientist whose research focuses on how the brain and peripheral nervous system coordinate behavioral and physiological responses to stress.
“I am honored to receive this award from the American Physiological Society. To be recognized by such a respected institution is a remarkable milestone, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our shared field of research,” Krause said.
Krause accepted the award in Baltimore, Md., at the American Physiological Society Summit April 26. The Carl Ludwig Award honors an innovative investigator with major contributions toward understanding autonomic regulation.
“Dr. Krause’s pioneering research exemplifies the criteria for the NCAR Ludwig Award, recognizing individuals who have made groundbreaking contributions to understanding neural control mechanisms and autonomic regulation,” said Paul Marvar, chair of the Neural Control & Autonomic Regulation (NCAR) Section at the American Physiological Society. “This honor highlights both his innovative methods and the therapeutic promise for advancing treatments for obesity, hypertension and other cardiometabolic diseases.”
Krause’s research investigates neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that orchestrate the behavioral, neuroendocrine and autonomic limbs of the stress response. The goal of this research is to understand and alleviate stress-related diseases like anxiety, depression, hypertension and obesity.
The award was based on two pivotal studies that illuminate the complex interactions among stress, neural circuitry and the heart-gut axis in regulating metabolism.
“The work that formed the basis for this award was the result of a collaborative effort by many talented individuals and facilitated by the unique infrastructure provided by GSU and the Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases,” Krause said. “This infrastructure allowed the formation of interdisciplinary teams that use different approaches to attack relevant problems in biomedical science. On that note, I’m fortunate to play on a very good team that includes Drs. Javier Stern, Anette de Kloet and Karen Scott.”
One of those studies, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, identifies a novel group of neurons controlling the brain-heart-gut axis which can be activated to induce a hypometabolic state that resembles hibernation. The discovery could have wide-ranging impacts for scientific fields ranging from obesity to cardiometabolic health, and even space travel.
The other study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, finds relieving psychological stress by targeting specific neurons in the brain can lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety.
“Dr. Krause’s research expands the frontiers of what we know about the nervous system and its connection to stress-related illnesses,” said Donald Hamelberg, interim vice president for research and economic development at Georgia State. “This recognition highlights his work on how the brain controls the body, with potential to advance disease treatments and drive progress across multiple scientific fields.”
Krause joined Georgia State in 2023 as a professor in the Neuroscience Institute and core member of the Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases (CNCD). Concurrently, he was appointed as an endowed distinguished investigator by the Georgia Research Alliance.
Looking ahead, Krause said he is energized by the future of neural and autonomic science.
“By decoding how the brain perceives and regulates internal states, we could unlock transformative treatments, changing how we fight disease by changing how the mind engages with the body,” he said.
For more information about Georgia State research, visit research.gsu.edu.