Seminar: "Hypothalamic Circuits Controlling Feeding and Body Weight Regulation: Implications for Obesity" - Mark A. Rossi

Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences Seminar: 

"Hypothalamic Circuits Controlling Feeding and Body Weight Regulation: Implications for Obesity"

Mark A. Rossi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

The brain is a critical regulator of feeding behavior and energy balance, and neurocircuit dysfunction is thought to contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes. I will discuss my work defining the neural circuits within the hypothalamus that regulate feeding behavior and underlie diet-induced obesity. I will highlight recent findings demonstrating how distinct populations of lateral hypothalamic neurons interact with other motivational centers to drive food seeking and consumption and how these systems can become dysfunctional during disease states.