The gut-brain axis is the bidirectional link between the enteric and central nervous systems and is critical for the maintenance of normal gastrointestinal (GI) homeostasis. The Ratcliffe Lab investigates early interactions between nerve signals, microbiota and gut hormones in the developmental programming and innervations of the GI tract. The lab uses anatomical, histological and molecular biological techniques to characterize fetal and early postnatal neurodevelopment of the enteric nervous system and the alterations implicated in disorders of the gut-brain axis interaction (DGBI).