<!-- thumbnail loaded properly --><!-- thumbnail loaded properly --><!-- thumbnail loaded properly -->{"id":9,"date":"2024-07-11T17:57:57","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T17:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2026-01-27T15:36:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T15:36:55","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/","title":{"rendered":"Jason O&#8217;Connor Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h4>Immunometabolism Brain, Behavior, and Aging<\/h4>\n<p>Our lab investigates how immune driven metabolic pathways shape brain function, behavior, and vulnerability to disease across the lifespan. We focus on the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism as a key interface linking inflammation to cognitive function, affective states, and stress related behavioral outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Through interdisciplinary collaborations, we extend this work to neurodevelopmental disorders, seizures, substance use disorders, fatigue in older adults, and aging related health challenges, including research aimed at improving outcomes for older veterans. Our goal is to translate immunometabolic mechanisms into actionable targets for improving brain health and quality of life.[\/vc_column_text] \n            <p>\n                <a class=\"button \" href=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/meet-our-team\/\" title=\"Meet the Team\" target=\"\" rel=\"\">\n            Meet the Team\n            <\/a>\n                \n            <\/p>\n        [\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;]\n                <div class=\"cell card\">\n                    <div class=\"grid-x grid-padding-x grid-padding-y align-middle\">\n                        <div class=\"cell small-12 medium-12\"><h3>Contact<\/h3><br><address><strong>Dr. Jason O'Connor, PhD<\/strong><br><em>Principal Investigator<\/em><br>Associate Professor<br><\/address>\n                            <ul class=\"fa-ul\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><li >\n                    <a href=\"tel:210-567-4232\">\n                        <span class=\"fa-li\" >\n                            <span class=\"fa-stack\">\n                                <i class=\"fas fa-circle fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\n                                <i class=\"fas fa-phone-alt fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\n                            <\/span>\n                        <\/span>\n                        <span >210-567-4232<\/span>\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li><li >\n                    <a href=\"mailto:oconnorj@uthscsa.edu\">\n                        <span class=\"fa-li\" >\n                            <span class=\"fa-stack\">\n                                <i class=\"fas fa-circle fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\n                                <i class=\"fas fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\n                            <\/span>\n                        <\/span>\n                        <span >oconnorj@uthscsa.edu<\/span>\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li><\/ul>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row_content&#8221; el_class=&#8221;bleed light-grey roomy&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">Lab News<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner equilizer_id=&#8221;matchcards&#8221;][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;]\n                <a class=\"card color orange\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/41577052\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"\" data-equalizer-watch=\"matchcards\">\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1198\" height=\"809\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/ido_autism.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Title: The role of the kynurenine pathway in the pathophysiology of autism-like phenotype induced by maternal inflammation in male mice\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/ido_autism.png 1198w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/ido_autism-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/ido_autism-1024x691.png 1024w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/ido_autism-768x519.png 768w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/ido_autism-640x432.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 98vw, (max-width: 1199px) 64vw, 770px\" \/>\n                    <div class=\"card-section\">\n                        <h4>``The role of the kynurenine pathway in the pathophysiology of autism-like phenotype induced by maternal inflammation in male mice``<\/h4>\n                        <p><\/p>\n                    <\/div>                \n                <\/a>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;]\n                <a class=\"card color orange\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/41369722\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"\" data-equalizer-watch=\"matchcards\">\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"852\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/opynfield.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Title: opynfield: An Open-Source Python Package for the Analysis of Open Field Exploration Data\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/opynfield.png 800w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/opynfield-282x300.png 282w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/opynfield-768x818.png 768w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/opynfield-640x682.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 98vw, (max-width: 1199px) 64vw, 770px\" \/>\n                    <div class=\"card-section\">\n                        <h4>``opynfield: An Open-Source Python Package for the Analysis of Open Field Exploration Data``<\/h4>\n                        <p><\/p>\n                    <\/div>                \n                <\/a>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;]\n                <a class=\"card color orange\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC12651329\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"\" data-equalizer-watch=\"matchcards\">\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"595\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/kmo_habituation.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Title: Losing the Filter: How Kynurenine Pathway Dysregulation Impairs Habituation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/kmo_habituation.png 595w, https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/kmo_habituation-296x300.png 296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 98vw, (max-width: 1199px) 64vw, 595px\" \/>\n                    <div class=\"card-section\">\n                        <h4>``Losing the Filter: How Kynurenine Pathway Dysregulation Impairs Habituationl``<\/h4>\n                        <p><\/p>\n                    <\/div>                \n                <\/a>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] Immunometabolism Brain, Behavior, and Aging Our lab investigates how immune driven metabolic pathways shape brain function, behavior, and vulnerability to disease across the lifespan. We focus on the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism as a key interface linking inflammation to cognitive function, affective states, and stress related behavioral outcomes. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":102,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jason O&#039;Connor Lab - Dr. Jason O&#039;Connor Lab<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jason O&#039;Connor Lab - Dr. Jason O&#039;Connor Lab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] Immunometabolism Brain, Behavior, and Aging Our lab investigates how immune driven metabolic pathways shape brain function, behavior, and vulnerability to disease across the lifespan. We focus on the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism as a key interface linking inflammation to cognitive function, affective states, and stress related behavioral outcomes. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dr. Jason O&#039;Connor Lab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-27T15:36:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2024\/12\/home.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jason O'Connor Lab - Dr. Jason O&#039;Connor Lab\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/59\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/home.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-11T17:57:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-27T15:36:55+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/59\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/home.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/59\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/home.jpg\",\"width\":600,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Natalia pouring a gel\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Jason O&#8217;Connor Lab\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dr. Jason O&#039;Connor Lab\",\"description\":\"O&#039;Connor Lab\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/labs.uthscsa.edu\\\/oconnor\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jason O'Connor Lab - Dr. Jason O&#039;Connor Lab","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/oconnor\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jason O'Connor Lab - Dr. Jason O&#039;Connor Lab","og_description":"[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] Immunometabolism Brain, Behavior, and Aging Our lab investigates how immune driven metabolic pathways shape brain function, behavior, and vulnerability to disease across the lifespan. 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