Alexander Lee Tesmer

Rules of disengagement: orexin-arousal and dopamine-utility as separable axes

The paper identifies two separable neurochemical axes—orexin-driven arousal and dopamine-mediated utility—that govern task engagement in mice, with implications for drug effects and motivation disorders.

Orexin population activity precisely reflects net body movement across behavioral and metabolic states

The paper identifies orexin/hypocretin neurons as precise encoders of net body movement across behaviors and metabolic states, independent of head movement and nutritional state.

Neurometabolic signaling and control of policy complexity

The paper investigates how hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin neurons regulate decision policy complexity through metabolic and neural signaling mechanisms in mice.

A neuropsychological basis for temptation-resistant voluntary exercise

This study identifies hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin neurons as responsible for prioritizing exercise over temptations in mice.

Control and coding of pupil size by hypothalamic orexin neurons

This study investigates the role of hypothalamic orexin neurons in controlling pupil size, linking their activity to arousal and reward states through specific stimulation and in vivo recordings.

Orexin cells efficiently decode blood glucose dynamics to drive adaptive behavior

This study shows that orexin neurons decode blood glucose dynamics to drive adaptive behavior in mice by tracking glucose gradients and generating neural adaptations.