Sharon Idiga, a third year Molecular Medicine graduate student in the Potthoff laboratory, has been awarded an individual 2018-2020 Predoctoral Fellowship from the American Heart Association for her project titled “Novel Endocrine Circuit Regulating Sugar Satiety.” The project is aimed at dissecting the central mechanism of FGF21's regulation of sugar intake and sweet taste preference.

Sarah Sapouckey, a Molecular Medicine graduate student in the Grobe laboratory, received an individual 2018-2020 Predoctoral Fellowship from the American Heart Association (18PRE33960377).  Her project, titled “Mechanisms of the Arcuate Nucleus Leptin-Angiotensin Interaction in the Control of Metabolism,” explores the molecular pathways that mediate the cross-talk between hormones leptin and angiotensin within a specific region of the brain (the arcuate nucleus) in the control of resting metabolic rate (RMR).  Previous work has implicated these hormones in the control of blood pressure (BP), and the Grobe lab and collaborators have implicated the interaction of these hormones in this specific brain region in the control of RMR.  Understanding how RMR and BP control are intertwined within the brain will help explain the co-morbidity of obesity and hypertension, and hopefully lead to the development of more effective therapies for each.

Congratulations to both Sharon and Sarah!