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Obesity-associated diseases are a major health problem and treatments are ineffective. My team’s focus is to determine how a brain molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY) controls appetite and body fat mass and how this is changed in obesity or in the other extreme, anorexia, which is common in late stage cancer. We will use genetically modified mouse models and investigate the role of NPY under different stress conditions and in cancer. This will tell us if targeting this NPY system with drugs may ....Obesity-associated diseases are a major health problem and treatments are ineffective. My team’s focus is to determine how a brain molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY) controls appetite and body fat mass and how this is changed in obesity or in the other extreme, anorexia, which is common in late stage cancer. We will use genetically modified mouse models and investigate the role of NPY under different stress conditions and in cancer. This will tell us if targeting this NPY system with drugs may provide a treatment for these diseases.Read moreRead less
The brain plays a major role in the overconsumption of high fat/high sugar foods and this contributes to obesity but it receives little attention when it comes to developing novel treatments. My lab showed that a FDA-approved smoking cessation medication, that is a nicotinic receptor modulator, decreased the overconsumption of sugar. This project aims are to identify which nicotinic receptors and brain circuits are involved in the overconsumption of sucrose to improve treatments for obesity.
Obesity is a major global public health concern and there is a desperate need to identify new targets to treat obesity. By targeting the lesser investigated CART pathway and identifying the elusive CART receptor this could make a significant inroad to the understanding of the causes of appetite control and the development of obesity.
The Role Of The Central Insulin-NPY Pathway In The Regulation Of Energy Balance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,975.00
Summary
Insulin is known for its role in the regulation of glucose metabolism in the liver, muscle and fat, however very little is known about the role of insulin in the brain. This project aims to improve our understanding on how insulin regulates energy balance and appetite and identifies the exact neuronal networks involved in the brain and to understand the mechanistic insights into the pathology of obesity, providing the means for the development of more effective and safer therapeutic approaches.
I use multidisciplinary and neuroimaging approaches to understand how the biochemistry of the brain affects how the brain functions in health and disease. This basic science underpins treatment approaches and furthers our understanding of a wide range of brain disorders.
Hypothalamic Regulation Of Appetite And Energy Homeostasis In Prader-Willi Syndrome.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$39,987.00
Summary
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disease affecting 1/~15 000 people. It causes insatiable appetite and often morbid obesity, as well as other developmental problems. It is thought that there is a defect in the way that the brain regulates eating behaviour in PWS, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. This study proposes to explore metabolic and genetic factors contributing to the appetite disorder in PWS. It will also explore new ways of treating excessive appetite.
A Novel Approach For The Treatment Of Obesity: Examining The Potential Of Addiction Therapeutics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$765,935.00
Summary
Difficulty in managing food intake, especially highly palatable food, can result in obesity and the health liabilities associated with being overweight. In its extreme, the difficulty reducing food intake resembles an addictive disorder. We have compelling preliminary data which show deficits in the brain associated with addiction are also found in diet-induced obesity. Therefore strategies used to treat addiction can potentially be used to treat obesity.
I am a Molecular Biologist who has built up a large set of transgenic animal models based around the NPY system to use them in an integrated physiology approach to investigate important regulatory mechanisms in the interaction of the brain with peripheral
Identification Of Novel Pathways Controlling Food Intake And Energy Balance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$751,006.00
Summary
Obesity-associated diseases are leading causes of death and are expected to increase as the obesity epidemic worsens. Because of the limited efficacy and/or safety concerns of currently available anti-obesity drugs, it is important to identify new drug targets. Investigating the cause of obesity and excessive food intake in natural occurring models like Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS) has the potential to shed new light on the complex regulation of this process and might open up new treatment option ....Obesity-associated diseases are leading causes of death and are expected to increase as the obesity epidemic worsens. Because of the limited efficacy and/or safety concerns of currently available anti-obesity drugs, it is important to identify new drug targets. Investigating the cause of obesity and excessive food intake in natural occurring models like Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS) has the potential to shed new light on the complex regulation of this process and might open up new treatment option for PWS as well as general obese patients.Read moreRead less
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome And Neurocognitive Dysfunction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$124,608.00
Summary
In this study, we will assess neurocognitive function in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS – too slow or too shallow breathing) using a battery of tests including driving simulation, before and after 3 months of positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP). This will assess if chronically raised carbon dioxide levels contribute to impaired thinking capacity in addition to low oxygen levels.