The experience of our internal body is called interoception. Interoception is a sixth sense, in addition to our ability to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. A better understanding how interoception works is critically dependent on the ability to scientifically probe the interoceptive process. This webinar will feature three experts in the field to discuss current research and future opportunities to probe the interoceptive processes in humans at behavioral, psychological neural, and physiological levels.

Have you ever wondered how we sense and regulate the myriad needs of our bodies? How do we sense the basic needs to breathe, eat, drink, or urinate? How do we sense, interpret, and integrate signals from within our body’s internal landscape across conscious and unconscious levels? This experience of our internal bodies is called interoception. It is considered the sixth sense, in addition to our five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. A better understanding of how interoception works is critically dependent on the ability to measure and probe it at the behavioral, psychological, and neurophysiological levels.

In this webinar, three experts in the field will present current research and discuss future opportunities to study interoceptive processes:

"Variations of Interoceptive Experience at the Interface of Mind and Body" Wolf Mehling, Ph.D. Professor of Clinical Family and Community Medicine University of California at San Francisco

"Accessing Interoceptive Neural Circuits via the Vagus Nerve" Eleni Frangos, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow NCCIH Division of Intramural Research

"Microneurography Technique: Applications in Interoceptive Research" Jeanie Park, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Medicine and Physiology Emory University School of Medicine

Audience participation is encouraged during the question-and-answer session. Please email your questions in advance or during the event to NCCIHwebinarQ@mail.nih.gov.