Description of Research Expertise

Research in the laboratory focuses on the central nervous system pathways that regulate appetite and metabolism.

In response to illness and infection, a common response is loss of appetite, an energy conserving behavior for foraging animals. However, this anorexia can persist in certain patients with chronic infections (HIV, TB) or cancers, and is often accompanied by a significant metabolic disorder, cachexia. Studies in the lab are directed at clarifying the role of the melanocortin system in this response by identifying sites of action within the CNS.

In utero programming refers to the process by which a stimulus or insult during critical periods of growth and development has lasting effects on the structure or function of a tissue or bodily system. We are interested in defining the CNS mechanisms that mediate the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome in response to in utero challenges (maternal malnutrition, infection or stress).