Biography

Obesity is now a worldwide epidemic which is associated with a number of health complications, including diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Collectively, these diseases represent a major public health problem, being the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Over the past decade, enormous advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular regulation of mammalian body weight with special emphasis on the hypothalamus as a centre of neuronal control of body weight and appetite. In my PhD studies, I aim to identify novel components of the homeostatic system that regulates body weight, specifically within the hypothalamus.