Laurent Gautron, Ph.D.

Laurent Gautron, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

Originally from France, Dr. Gautron earned his doctoral degree in neuroscience from the University of Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France. He then completed advanced training through a fellowship program in neuroscience at University Bordeaux, a fellowship program in endocrinology at Beth Israel Medical Center, and a fellowship program in internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

Dr. Gautron joined the UT Southwestern faculty as an Instructor in 2010 and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2012.

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Gautron is on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee's voting committee.

Dr. Gautron is active in several professional societies, including the Society for Neuroscience, the American Association of Anatomists, the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, and the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society.

Dr. Gautron has given lectures both nationally and internationally. His research has led to 54 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters and reviews. For more information on his research focus, visit his lab site.

Graduate School

Unlisted - International Colle (1999), Biology

Graduate School

Unlisted - International Colle (2003), Cognition and Neuroscience

• Hypothalamus
• in situ hybridization
• Molecular neuroendocrinology
• Neuroanatomy
• neuroimmunology
• obesity
• Sepsis
• Vagus nerve

Featured Publications

Characterization of a cell bridge variant connecting the nodose and superior cervical ganglia in the mouse: Prevalence, anatomical features, and practical implications.

Bookout AL, Gautron L, J Comp Neurol 2021 Jan 529 1 111-128

TLR4 signaling selectively and directly promotes CGRP release from vagal afferents in the mouse.

Jia L, Lee S, Tierney JA, Elmquist JK, Burton MD, Gautron L, eNeuro 2020 Dec

Forward genetic analysis using OCT screening identifies Sfxn3 mutations leading to progressive outer retinal degeneration in mice.

Chen B, Aredo B, Ding Y, Zhong X, Zhu Y, Zhao CX, Kumar A, Xing C, Gautron L, Lyon S, Russell J, Li X, Tang M, Anderton P, Ludwig S, Moresco EMY, Beutler B, Ufret-Vincenty RL, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020 06 117 23 12931-12942

Physiology-forward identification of bile acid-sensitive vomeronasal receptors.

Wong WM, Cao J, Zhang X, Doyle WI, Mercado LL, Gautron L, Meeks JP, Sci Adv 2020 May 6 22 eaaz6868

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Sulfolipid-1 Activates Nociceptive Neurons and Induces Cough.

Ruhl CR, Pasko BL, Khan HS, Kindt LM, Stamm CE, Franco LH, Hsia CC, Zhou M, Davis CR, Qin T, Gautron L, Burton MD, Mejia GL, Naik DK, Dussor G, Price TJ, Shiloh MU, Cell 2020 04 181 2 293-305.e11

[Spyridon Kanellis, a 19th century daring plagiarist].

Gautron L, Biol Aujourdhui 2020 214 3-4 85-90

Dermal adipose tissue has high plasticity and undergoes reversible dedifferentiation in mice.

Zhang Z, Shao M, Hepler C, Zi Z, Zhao S, An YA, Zhu Y, Ghaben A, Wang MY, Li N, Onodera T, Joffin N, Crewe C, Zhu Q, Vishvanath L, Kumar A, Xing C, Wang QA, Gautron L, Deng Y, Gordillo R, Kruglikov I, Kusminski CM, Gupta RK, Scherer PE, J. Clin. Invest. 2019 Sep

The Molecular Diversity of Vagal Afferents Revealed.

Egerod KL, Schwartz TW, Gautron L, Trends Neurosci. 2019 Aug

Seeing through sensory ganglia.

Mercado LL, Gautron L, J. Neurosci. Res. 2019 May

Relationship of a-MSH and AgRP axons to the perikarya of melanocortin-4 receptor neurons.

Lima LB, Pedroso JAB, Metzger M, Gautron L, Donato J, Brain Res. 2019 Apr

• American Association of Anatomists (2013)
• American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (2012)
• International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience (2012)
• Society for Neuroscience (2003)