The Margolis lab researches the enteric nervous system (ENS) and disorders that have in common an effect both on the brain and the gut, sometimes referred to as the “brain-gut axis”. They have published novel observations on the roles that enteric neurotransmitters (specifically serotonin and oxytocin) play in ENS development and how signaling from such neurotransmitters may, when abnormal, result in gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), motility dysfunction (e.g., chronic constipation or irritable bowel syndrome) and necrotizing enterocolitis (a devastating intestinal inflammatory disorder primarily of preterm infants). This research has recently provided important insights into how abnormalities of the ENS can arise in children with brain-gut axis disorders such as autism, antenatal antidepressant exposure and irritable bowel syndrome.