Metabolic and Homeostatic Systems

The study of the brain and body processes that help maintain life, from neural energetics to feeding, and from biological rhythms to stress responses. Research in this area focuses on both circuit and whole organism processes, with a focus on understanding how the environment affects these processes, and how deficits in these systems contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other disorders of modern society.

Recent research in this area

Brutman JN, Sirohi S, Davis JF. (2019) Examining the Impact of Estrogen on Binge Feeding, Food-Motivated Behavior, and Body Weight in Female Rats Obesity 1617-1626 PMID: 31411378
Sirohi S, Skripnikova E, Davis JF. (2019) Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Attenuates Hedonic Feeding Without Impacting Alcohol Drinking in Rats Obesity (4):603-611 PMID: 30740914 PMCID: PMC6430654
Zhou X, Zhang Y, Michal JJ, Qu L, Zhang S, Wildung MR, Du W, Pouchnik DJ, Zhao H, Xia Y, Shi H, Ji G, Davis JF, Smith GD, Griswold MD, Harland RM, Jiang Z. (2019) Alternative polyadenylation coordinates embryonic development, sexual dimorphism and longitudinal growth in Xenopus tropicalis. Cell Mol Life Sci. 76(11):2185-2198 PMID: 30729254 PMCID: PMC6597005
Brutman JN, Zhou X, Zhang Y, Michal J, Stark B, Jiang Z, Davis JF. (2018) Mapping diet-induced alternative polyadenylation of hypothalamic transcripts in the obese rat Physiol Behav. 188:173-180. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.01.026. Epub 2018 Jan 31. PMID: 29391168
Zhang S, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Fu X, Michal JJ, Ji G, Du M, Davis JF, Jiang Z. (2018) Alternative polyadenylation drives genome-to-phenome information detours in the AMPKα1 and AMPKα2 knockout mice. Sci Rep. 8(1):6462 PMID: 29691479 PMCID: PMC5915415

The transcriptional repressor Rev-erbα regulates circadian expression of the astrocyte Fabp7 mRNA. Vanderheyden WM, Fang B, Flores CC, Jager J, Gerstner JR. Curr Res Neurobiol. 2021;2:100009. doi: 10.1016/j.crneur.2021.100009. Epub 2021 Mar 23. PMID: 34056625
Sirohi S, Schurdak JD, Seeley RJ, Benoit SC, Davis JF (2016). Central & peripheral glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor signaling differentially regulate addictive behaviors. Physiol Behav. 161:140-4. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.013. Epub 2016 Apr 9. PMID: 27072507
Szentirmai E, Kapás L, Sun Y, Smith RG, Krueger JM (2009). The preproghrelin gene is required for the normal integration of thermoregulation and sleep in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106(33):14069-74. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0903090106. Epub 2009 Aug 4. PMCID: PMC2729021
McLaughlin, R.J., Hill, M.N., Gorzalka, B.B. (2014). A critical role for prefrontocortical endocannabinoid signaling in the regulation of stress and emotional behavior. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 42C, 116-131. PMID: 24582908
Darling RA, Zhao H, Kinch D, Li AJ, Simasko SM, Ritter S (2014). Mercaptoacetate and fatty acids exert direct and antagonistic effects on nodose neurons via GPR40 fatty acid receptors. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 307(1):R35-43. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00536.2013. Epub 2014 Apr 23. PMCID: PMC4152161
Walker BM, Valdez GR, McLaughlin JP and Bakalkin G (2012). Targeting dynorphin / kappa-opioid receptor systems to treat alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcohol 46, 4, 359-370. PMCID: PMC3396024
Kinlein S, Wilson CD, Savenkova M, Karatsoreos IN (2015) Disruption of HPA axis leads to divergent neurobehavioral responses to stress. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 6:31. PMCID: PMC4358064