Contact Information
Office: 2-307 BSB
Phone: 353-5789
Faculty Profile
Brief description of current research:
We aim to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying the homeostatic regulation of appetite and cardiometabolic physiology. Making this possible are a variety of modern neuroscience tools including chemogenetics, channelrhodopsins, genetically encoded calcium indicators, and modified G-deleted rabies viruses for behavioral, hormonal, electrophysiological, and anatomical circuit mapping studies. In addition, we are interested in the discovery of previously unidentified, genetically defined neuronal subtypes within the hypothalamus and brainstem that regulate energy and fluid balance. To achieve this, we use single-cell RNA sequencing and bioinformatics to classify transcriptionally unique neuronal populations in an unbiased manner. Subsequently, we use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to engineer new Cre knockin mouse lines in order to gain specific access to these neuronal subtypes for functional characterization studies. Our combined use of next generation sequencing, transgenic mouse engineering, physiology, and behavior is well suited for mechanistic investigation of neural circuits regulating appetite, metabolism, and endocrine function.
3 most influential diabetes/obesity/metabolism publications:
- Perry RJ*, Resch JM*, Douglass AM*, Madara JC, Rabin-Court A, Kucukdereli H, Wu C, Song JD, Lowell BB^, Shulman GI^. Leptin's hunger-suppressing effects are mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in rodents. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019;116(27):13670-9. *Co-first author.
- Zeng X, Ye M, Resch JM, Jedrychowski MP, Hu B, Lowell BB, Ginty DD, Spiegelman BM. Innervation of thermogenic adipose tissue via a calsyntenin 3beta-S100b axis. Nature. 2019;569(7755):229-35.
- Resch JM*, Fenselau H*, Madara JC*, Wu C, Campbell JN, Lyubetskaya A, Dawes BA, Tsai LT, Li MM, Livneh Y, Ke Q, Kang PM, Fejes-Toth G, Naray-Fejes-Toth A, Geerling JC^, Lowell BB^. Aldosterone-Sensing Neurons in the NTS Exhibit State-Dependent Pacemaker Activity and Drive Sodium Appetite via Synergy with Angiotensin II Signaling. Neuron. 2017;96(1):190-206 e7. *Co-first author.
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