Neuroscience
Mapping the structural and functional anatomy of the vagus nerve, its afferent and efferent signalling, and how neural plasticity modifies gut-brain communication over time.
NeuroscienceStudent-Led Neuroscience Research
Where the gut
speaks to the brain.
Your gut is talking to the brain. Are you listening?
A hidden conversation connects your gut, your mind, and the billions of microbes within you.The Vagus Vision explores this connection by uncovering how the gut, the brain axis, shapes who we are, how we feel and how we think
01 / About
The gut-brain axis is one of the most underexplored frontiers in modern neuroscience.
500M+
Neurons in the enteric nervous system
90%
Of vagal signals travel gut → brain
~38T
Microbes influencing your neurology
02 / Research
Our scientific pillars
Three interconnected lenses through which we study the gut-brain axis.
GUT–BRAIN AXIS
Decoding the conversation between the gut & brain. We investigate the bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiome, enteric nervous system, and brain—and its implications for mental and neurological health.
PsychobiologyPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
Measuring the connection between mind & body. We study how psychological states influence physiological processes, using markers such as autonomic regulation and heart-rate variability (HRV) to understand the body's response to stress.
Psychology
03 / Team
The researchers behind the vision
A collective of curious minds. Each member brings a distinct perspective — unfiltered by convention.
Yahya Al-Abdallah
Founder | Lead Researcher
Giving The Vagus Vision its direction, questions and probably few last minute ideas
"I'm onto
something"
Maisaa Assi
Tech Lead
Tech Lead & Researcher, Vagus Vision: Directed digital tool development for biological research; led
tech strategy, optimized workflows, & built research-facing web platforms.
"Winning is the only
option" -Ye
Raghad Houshaimi
Creative Lead
Turning ideas into something you actually want to look at
"SO CUTE"
Tiya Abouassaly
Researcher A
claiming the brain part of every research project before anyone else can
"I'M SO INTO THIS"
Taline Dalli
Researcher B
Diving into details and always finding something worth looking into
"Good Luck"
Lara Al Hayek
Outreach Lead
Bringing the energy, making connections, and somehow being everywhere at once
"OMG!"
Hoda Tolyani
Researcher
Stepping into any role, picking it up fast, and somehow getting it done perfectly.
"I got it"
04 / Notes
Methodology & principles
Evidence-Based Research
Every claim we make is grounded in peer-reviewed literature. We maintain a living bibliography and actively update our understanding as new research emerges. We flag areas of scientific uncertainty explicitly — we prefer honest ambiguity over confident overstatement.
Interdisciplinary Science
The gut-brain axis sits at the intersection of neurology, gastroenterology, immunology, microbiology, and psychology. Our team deliberately spans these disciplines, synthesising literature across fields rather than siloing our analysis.
Human-Centered Innovation
The gut microbiome is significant across all ages but particularly dynamic during adolescence. As teenage researchers, we are not merely studying our subject — we are, in some respects, our subject. This lived proximity shapes our questions and sharpens our focus.
Scientific Integrity
We use highly trusted scientific sources and only integrate well studied and reviewed facts to share them clearly and cohesively. Science should not be locked behind institutional paywalls or impenetrable language. Clarity is a form of respect for the reader.