University of Exeter Medical School

Professor Kate Ellacott

Professor Kate Ellacott

Director of Postgraduate Research - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Associate Professor

 k.ellacott@exeter.ac.uk

 01392 408267

 RILD Building 4.04

 

University of Exeter Medical School, RILD Building, RD&E Hospital Wonford, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK

Overview

Kate Ellacott is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Neuroscience at the University of Exeter. Her long-standing research interest is understanding how the brain controls food intake and body weight. Prof Ellacott has over twenty years of experience in this area from work at Universities in the USA and UK. Recently, her recent research has been funded by the Medical Research Council, Diabetes UK, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

Kate is currently the Deputy-president and general secretary of the British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

Kate Ellacott is currently the Faculty Director for Postgraduate Research for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. She also teaches neuroendocrinology on the BSc Neuroscience and MSc Neuroscience programmes and has previously taught on the BMBS Medicine and BSc Medical Sciences programmes.

Kate is passionate about student support and improving the experience for students at all levels (undergraduate and postgraduate), particularly those with additional support needs. She is committed to mentoring students and early career researchers and is enthusiastic about promoting careers in research and academic medicine. 

X/Twitter: @NeuroEndo_Ex

ORCID: 0000-0001-5261-7465

Google Scholar Profile

Postgraduate Research opportunities: Prof Ellacott is open to email enquires from students with their own funding interested in pursuing an MSc by Research or PhD in neuroendocrinology, metabolism, obesity or diabetes research.

Qualifications

  • BSc. Pharmacology – University of Edinburgh
  • Ph.D. Neuroscience – University of Manchester
  • Pg.Cert. Academic Practice - University of Exeter
  • Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy

Career

After completing a PhD at the University of Manchester under the supervision of Profs. Nancy Rothwell and Simon Luckman she was awarded a Wellcome Trust international travelling fellowship to study with Dr Roger Cone at the Vollum Institute in Portland, Oregon, USA. Kate remained in Oregon until 2008 when she joined the faculty Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee and started an independent research programme examining the effect of obesity on central nervous system function. While at Vanderbilt, Kate also served as Associate Director of the Metabolic Pathophysiology Core of the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center.

Kate joined the University of Exeter Medical School in 2014.

Research group links

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Research

Research interests

Kate's broad research interest is understanding how the brain controls food intake and body weight. In particular her research is focused on how different cell types in the brain (neurons, microglia, astrocytes and endothelial cells) coordinate and interact to regulate these processes. Her lab also studies how the normal function of the brain changes in response to alterations in body weight including obesity (excess body weight) and anorexia/cachexia (insufficient body weight), and how these changes in the brain contribute to the development of commonly associated diseases like diabetes. 

Obesity, a major public health issue in the U.K. that affects greater than 25% of the adult population. It is estimated to directly cost the National Health Service (NHS) £4.2billion each year and can affect all aspects of a person’s life. Currently there are limited treatment options available. The long term goal of Kate's research is to impact human health by improving our knowledge of how the brain controls food intake and body weight, which will help in the development of new therapies for obesity and anorexia/cachexia.

Research projects

Ongoing

2022-2024   Skills, Knowledge and Transfer Grant - NC3Rs

Title: "Refining mouse glucose homeostasis assessments"

Goal: To develop a new more refined protocol for experimental glucose tolerance testing in mice that better mimics the human clinical assay.

Collaborator: Craig Beall

Staff: Katherine Pye

2020-2023   Project Grant 19/0006035 (Ellacott) - Diabetes UK

Title: "Regulation of glucose homeostasis by brainstem astrocytes"

Goal: To understand the contribution of astrocytes in the dorsal vagal complex to the regulation of blood glucose control

Collaborator: Craig Beall

Staff: Alastair McDonald, Katherine Pye

 

Completed

2018-2020    Pilot Grant MR/R014345/1 (Ellacott) - Medical Research Council

Title: "IMPC - Understanding the role of 18kDa Translocator protein (TSPO) in the
regulation of energy homeostasis in mice"

Goal: To investigate the potential role of 18kDa Translocator protein (TSPO) in mediating homeostatic changes in food intake and body weight.

Collaborators: Craig Beall, Chris Scotton

Staff: Katherine Pye, Nicole Morrissey

2016-2020     Project Grant MR/N012763/1 (Ellacott) – Medical Research Council

Title: “The role of hypothalamic astrocytes in homeostatic regulation of feeding”

Goal: To understand how hypothalamic astrocytes sense nutrient availability and regulate the activity neuronal circuits that regulate food intake

Collaborators: Andy Randall, Craig Beall

Staff: Hannah Smithers, Katherine Pye, Alastair McDonald

2016-2019     GW4 DTP PhD Studentship (Ellacott) – GW4/Medical Research Council

Title: “Defining the contribution of hypothalamic astroglia to the homeostatic regulation of   food intake”

Goal: To fund a student to work on understanding how astrocytes sense nutrient availability and regulate the activity neuronal circuits that regulate food intake

Collaborators: Tony Pickering (Bristol), Craig Beall

Student: Alastair McDonald

2016-2017      Innovative Grant (Beall) – Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Title: “Does an orally active, brain permeable AMPK activator improve hypoglycemia counterregulation in a rat model of type 1 diabetes?”

Goal: To evaluate the efficacy of an orally active AMPK activator as a potential therapeutic agent to improve hypoglycemia sensing in type 1 diabetes.

Collaborator: Craig Beall

Staff: Yasama Malekizadeh

2016-2017      Small Project Grant (Ellacott) – British Society for Neuroendocrinology

Title: “A role for mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) in fatty acid sensing by astrocytes”

Goal: The goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that TSPO functions as a docking protein in the outer mitochondrial membrane which binds ACBP allowing it to present fatty acyl-CoA to CPT-1 for transport across the mitochondrial membrane for utilization in β-oxidation.

Collaborators: Craig Beall, John Chilton

Staff: Josie Robb, Nicole Morrissey

2017-2018      Small Project Grant (Hanna) – British Society for Neuroendocrinology

Title: “Investigation of hypothalamic dysfunction in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)”

Goal: To characterize changes in the electrophysiological properties of hypothalamic neurons with disease progression in Alzheimer's disease.

Collaborators: Lydia Hanna, Andy Randall,

Staff: Lydia Hanna

Research networks

Research grants

  • 2017 Medical Research Council
    Title: IMPC - Understanding the role of 18kDa Translocator protein (TSPO) in the regulation of energy homeostasis in mice
  • 2016 Medical Research Council
    Title: The role of hypothalamic astrocytes in the homeostatic regulation of feeding behaviour
  • 2016 Medical Research Council
    GW4 MRC Doctoral Training Partnership PhD Studentship Title: Defining the contribution of hypothalamic astroglia to the homeostatic regulation of food intake
  • 2016 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
    Title: Does an orally active, brain permeable AMPK activator improve hypoglycemia counterregulation in type 1 diabetes?

Links


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Publications

Journal articles

Firth W, Robb JL, Stewart D, Pye KR, Bamford R, Oguro‐Ando A, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2024). Regulation of astrocyte metabolism by mitochondrial translocator protein <scp>18 kDa</scp>. Journal of Neurochemistry Abstract.
Ellacott KLJ (2023). Gastrocytes and GLUttony – astrocyte regulation of calorie intake via glutamatergic modulation of gastric activity in rats. The Journal of Physiology, 601(4), 709-710.
MacDonald AJ, Pye KR, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2023). Impact of chemogenetic activation of dorsal vagal complex astrocytes in mice on adaptive glucoregulatory responses. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 35(8). Abstract.
Ellacott KLJ (2022). Astrocytes in neural circuits controlling appetite and food intake. Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research, 22, 100313-100313.
Weightman Potter PG, Ellacott KLJ, Randall AD, Beall C (2022). Glutamate Prevents Altered Mitochondrial Function Following Recurrent Low Glucose in Hypothalamic but Not Cortical Primary Rat Astrocytes. Cells, 11(21), 3422-3422. Abstract.
Morrissey NA, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2021). Absence of the mitochondrial translocator protein 18 kDa in mice does not affect body weight or food intake responses to altered energy availability. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 33(9). Abstract.
Cruz AM, Partridge KM, Malekizadeh Y, Vlachaki Walker JM, Weightman Potter PG, Pye KR, Shaw SJ, Ellacott KLJ, Beall C (2021). Brain Permeable AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Activator R481 Raises Glycaemia by Autonomic Nervous System Activation and Amplifies the Counterregulatory Response to Hypoglycaemia in Rats. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12 Abstract.
MacDonald AJ, Yang YHC, Cruz AM, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2021). Brain-Body Control of Glucose Homeostasis—Insights from Model Organisms. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12 Abstract.
Lam BYH, Williamson A, Finer S, Day FR, Tadross JA, Gonçalves Soares A, Wade K, Sweeney P, Bedenbaugh MN, Porter DT, et al (2021). MC3R links nutritional state to childhood growth and the timing of puberty. Nature, 599(7885), 436-441.
Kelly KP, Ellacott KLJ, Chen H, McGuinness OP, Johnson CH (2021). Time-optimized feeding is beneficial without enforced fasting. Open Biology, 11(10). Abstract.
MacDonald AJ, Ellacott KLJ (2020). Astrocytes in the nucleus of the solitary tract: Contributions to neural circuits controlling physiology. Physiology & Behavior, 223, 112982-112982.
Hanna L, Kawalek TJ, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2020). Changes in neuronal activity across the mouse ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus in response to low glucose: Evaluation using an extracellular multi-electrode array approach. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 32(3). Abstract.
Robb JL, Morrissey NA, Weightman Potter PG, Smithers HE, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2020). Immunometabolic Changes in Glia - a Potential Role in the Pathophysiology of Obesity and Diabetes. Neuroscience, 447, 167-181. Abstract.  Author URL.
Robb JL, Hammad NA, Weightman Potter PG, Chilton JK, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2020). The metabolic response to inflammation in astrocytes is regulated by nuclear factor‐kappa B signaling. Glia, 68(11), 2246-2263. Abstract.
MacDonald AJ, Robb JL, Morrissey NA, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ (2019). Astrocytes in neuroendocrine systems: an overview. J Neuroendocrinol, 31(5). Abstract.  Author URL.
Weightman Potter PG, Vlachaki Walker JM, Robb JL, Chilton JK, Williamson R, Randall AD, Ellacott KLJ, Beall C (2019). Basal fatty acid oxidation increases after recurrent low glucose in human primary astrocytes. Diabetologia, 62(1), 187-198. Abstract.  Author URL.
MacDonald AJ, Holmes FE, Beall C, Pickering AE, Ellacott KLJ (2019). Regulation of food intake by astrocytes in the brainstem dorsal vagal complex. Glia, 68(6), 1241-1254. Abstract.
Ghamari-Langroudi M, Cakir I, Lippert RN, Sweeney P, Litt MJ, Ellacott KLJ, Cone RD (2018). Regulation of energy rheostasis by the melanocortin-3 receptor. Sci Adv, 4(8). Abstract.  Author URL.
Vlachaki Walker JM, Robb JL, Cruz AM, Malhi A, Weightman Potter PG, Ashford MLJ, McCrimmon RJ, Ellacott KLJ, Beall C (2017). AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator A-769662 increases intracellular calcium and ATP release from astrocytes in an AMPK-independent manner. Diabetes Obes Metab, 19(7), 997-1005. Abstract.  Author URL.
Beall C, Hanna L, Ellacott KLJ (2017). CNS Targets of Adipokines. Compr Physiol, 7(4), 1359-1406. Abstract.  Author URL.
Buckman LB, Thompson MM, Lippert RN, Blackwell TS, Yull FE, Ellacott KLJ (2015). Evidence for a novel functional role of astrocytes in the acute homeostatic response to high-fat diet intake in mice. Mol Metab, 4(1), 58-63. Abstract.  Author URL.
Lippert RN, Ellacott KLJ, Cone RD (2014). Gender-specific roles for the melanocortin-3 receptor in the regulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system in mice. Endocrinology, 155(5), 1718-1727. Abstract.  Author URL.
Buckman LB, Hasty AH, Flaherty DK, Buckman CT, Thompson MM, Matlock BK, Weller K, Ellacott KLJ (2014). Obesity induced by a high-fat diet is associated with increased immune cell entry into the central nervous system. Brain Behav Immun, 35, 33-42. Abstract.  Author URL.
Buckman LB, Anderson-Baucum EK, Hasty AH, Ellacott KL (2014). Regulation of S100B in white adipose tissue by obesity in mice. Adipocyte, 3(3), 215-220. Abstract.  Author URL.
Buckman LB, Ellacott KLJ (2014). The contribution of hypothalamic macroglia to the regulation of energy homeostasis. Front Syst Neurosci, 8 Abstract.  Author URL.
Pendergast JS, Branecky KL, Yang W, Ellacott KLJ, Niswender KD, Yamazaki S (2013). High-fat diet acutely affects circadian organisation and eating behavior. Eur J Neurosci, 37(8), 1350-1356. Abstract.  Author URL.
Alcendor DJ, Block FE, Cliffel DE, Daniels JS, Ellacott KLJ, Goodwin CR, Hofmeister LH, Li D, Markov DA, May JC, et al (2013). Neurovascular unit on a chip: implications for translational applications. Stem Cell Res Ther, 4 Suppl 1(Suppl 1). Abstract.  Author URL.
Buckman LB, Thompson MM, Moreno HN, Ellacott KLJ (2013). Regional astrogliosis in the mouse hypothalamus in response to obesity. J Comp Neurol, 521(6), 1322-1333. Abstract.  Author URL.
Thompson MM, Manning HC, Ellacott KLJ (2013). Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) is regulated in white and brown adipose tissue by obesity. PLoS One, 8(11). Abstract.  Author URL.
Renquist BJ, Murphy JG, Larson EA, Olsen D, Klein RF, Ellacott KLJ, Cone RD (2012). Melanocortin-3 receptor regulates the normal fasting response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 109(23), E1489-E1498. Abstract.  Author URL.
Hatoum IJ, Stylopoulos N, Vanhoose AM, Boyd KL, Yin DP, Ellacott KLJ, Ma LL, Blaszczyk K, Keogh JM, Cone RD, et al (2012). Melanocortin-4 receptor signaling is required for weight loss after gastric bypass surgery. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 97(6), E1023-E1031. Abstract.  Author URL.
Orr JS, Puglisi MJ, Ellacott KLJ, Lumeng CN, Wasserman DH, Hasty AH (2012). Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency promotes the alternative activation of adipose tissue macrophages. Diabetes, 61(11), 2718-2727. Abstract.  Author URL.
Srisai D, Gillum MP, Panaro BL, Zhang X-M, Kotchabhakdi N, Shulman GI, Ellacott KLJ, Cone RD (2011). Characterization of the hyperphagic response to dietary fat in the MC4R knockout mouse. Endocrinology, 152(3), 890-902. Abstract.  Author URL.
Renquist BJ, Lippert RN, Sebag JA, Ellacott KLJ, Cone RD (2011). Physiological roles of the melanocortin MC₃ receptor. Eur J Pharmacol, 660(1), 13-20. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Morton GJ, Woods SC, Tso P, Schwartz MW (2010). Assessment of feeding behavior in laboratory mice. Cell Metab, 12(1), 10-17. Abstract.  Author URL.
Kennedy AJ, Ellacott KLJ, King VL, Hasty AH (2010). Mouse models of the metabolic syndrome. Dis Model Mech, 3(3-4), 156-166. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Murphy JG, Marks DL, Cone RD (2007). Obesity-induced inflammation in white adipose tissue is attenuated by loss of melanocortin-3 receptor signaling. Endocrinology, 148(12), 6186-6194. Abstract.  Author URL.
Voss-Andreae A, Murphy JG, Ellacott KLJ, Stuart RC, Nillni EA, Cone RD, Fan W (2007). Role of the central melanocortin circuitry in adaptive thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue. Endocrinology, 148(4), 1550-1560. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Halatchev IG, Cone RD (2006). Characterization of leptin-responsive neurons in the caudal brainstem. Endocrinology, 147(7), 3190-3195. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Halatchev IG, Cone RD (2006). Interactions between gut peptides and the central melanocortin system in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Peptides, 27(2), 340-349. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Cone RD (2006). The role of the central melanocortin system in the regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis: lessons from mouse models. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 361(1471), 1265-1274. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Donald EL, Clarkson P, Morten J, Masters D, Brennand J, Luckman SM (2005). Characterization of a naturally-occurring polymorphism in the UHR-1 gene encoding the putative rat prolactin-releasing peptide receptor. Peptides, 26(4), 675-681. Abstract.  Author URL.
Fan W, Ellacott KLJ, Halatchev IG, Takahashi K, Yu P, Cone RD (2004). Cholecystokinin-mediated suppression of feeding involves the brainstem melanocortin system. Nat Neurosci, 7(4), 335-336. Abstract.  Author URL.
Halatchev IG, Ellacott KLJ, Fan W, Cone RD (2004). Peptide YY3-36 inhibits food intake in mice through a melanocortin-4 receptor-independent mechanism. Endocrinology, 145(6), 2585-2590. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Cone RD (2004). The central melanocortin system and the integration of short- and long-term regulators of energy homeostasis. Recent Prog Horm Res, 59, 395-408. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ, Lawrence CB, Pritchard LE, Luckman SM (2003). Repeated administration of the anorectic factor prolactin-releasing peptide leads to tolerance to its effects on energy homeostasis. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 285(5 54-5). Abstract.
Ellacott KLJ, Lawrence CB, Pritchard LE, Luckman SM (2003). Repeated administration of the anorectic factor prolactin-releasing peptide leads to tolerance to its effects on energy homeostasis. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 285(5), R1005-R1010. Abstract.  Author URL.
Ellacott KLJ (2002). PRL-Releasing Peptide Interacts with Leptin to Reduce Food Intake and Body Weight. Endocrinology, 143(2), 368-374.
Lawrence CB (2002). PRL-Releasing Peptide Reduces Food Intake and May Mediate Satiety Signaling. Endocrinology, 143(2), 360-367.
Ellacott KLJ, Lawrence CB, Rothwell NJ, Luckman SM (2002). PRL-releasing peptide interacts with leptin to reduce food intake and body weight. Endocrinology, 143(2), 368-374. Abstract.  Author URL.
Lawrence CB, Ellacott KLJ, Luckman SM (2002). PRL-releasing peptide reduces food intake and may mediate satiety signaling. Endocrinology, 143(2), 360-367. Abstract.  Author URL.

Conferences

Zhang JZ, Ellacott KE, Beall CB (2022). AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation suppresses low glucose-induced macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) release from central and peripheral immune cells.  Author URL.
Partridge KM, Morgan NG, Ellacott KLJ, Beall C (2022). Recurrent low glucose exposure (RLG) induces intrinsic metabolic adaptations in pancreatic alphaTC1.9 cells.  Author URL.
Partridge KM, Shaw SJ, Morgan NG, Ellacott KLJ, Beall C (2021). Novel AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator R481 promotes glucose and fat utilisation in pancreatic alpha cells.  Author URL.
Beall C, Cruz AM, Potter PGW, Walker JMV, Malekizadeh Y, Pye KR, Shaw SJ, Ellacott KLJ (2020). Amp-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator R481 amplifies the glucagon response to hypoglycaemia without worsening hyperglycaemia in diabetic rats.  Author URL.
Cruz A, Potter PW, Pye K, Shaw S, Ellacott K, Beall C (2020). Brain permeable AMPK activator R481 acutely raises blood glucose by activating the autonomic nervous system without altering insulin sensitivity.  Author URL.
Robb JL, Hammad NA, Beall C, Ellacott KL (2019). A role for translocator protein 18kDa (TSPO) in immunometabolic regulation in astrocytes.  Author URL.

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External Engagement and Impact

Committee/panel activities

2016-current   Board of Trustees and Member of the Organising committee, British Society for Neuroendocrinology

2020-current   General Secretary and Deputy-President, British Society for Neuroendocrinology

2019-current Member Grant Review Pabel, Medical Research Council Genome Editing Mice for Medicine (GEMM) programme

2017- 2023 Member, Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) grant review panel Committee A


Editorial responsibilities

Senior Editor

  • Journal of Neuroendocrinology

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Frontiers in Cellular Endocrinology
  • Frontiers in Behavioural Endocrinology

Competitively won research fellowships

2011-2013 Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center Young Investigator Award

2003-2007   Wellcome Trust International Travelling Fellowship

1999-2002   MRC-Case PhD studentship (University Manchester/Astra Zeneca)


Conferences and invited presentations

2023     Invited Speaker: European Behavioural Pharmacology Society Annual Meeting, Mannheim, Germany “Hindbrain astrocytes and the regulation of food intake”

2023     Invited Speaker: Student Committee in Neurometabolism (Québec, Canada) Neurometabolic Summer Seminar Series (online, open to all) “Astrocytes in neural circuits controlling food intake”

2023     Invited Speaker: NeuroFrance 2023, Lyon, France “Emerging role of astrocytes in the brain control of energy homeostasis”

2022     Invited Speaker:  Nutrition and the biology of aging, British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA) and the Biochemical Society, University of Kent “Diet-induced changes in astrocytes – implications for physiology and pathophysiology.”

2022    Invited Speaker (plenary):  Physiological Society Meeting – Celebrating Physiology in Edinburgh, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh “Regulation of feeding behaviour – A role for astrocytes?”

2022 Invited Speaker:  BBSRC South Coast Bio Doctoral Training Programme Annual conference, “The contribution of astrocytes to neural circuits controlling food intake”

2022 Invited Speaker:  University of Leeds (Online), “Astrocytes and the regulation of feeding behaviour”

2022 Invited Speaker:  Cardiff University (Online), “The contribution of astrocytes to neural circuits controlling food intake”

2021 Invited Speaker:  Society for Endocrinology: Endocrine Network – Metabolic and Obesity (Online), “Astrocytes and the regulation of feeding behaviour”

2021  Invited Speaker:  University of Lübeck (Online), “Astrocytes and the regulation of feeding behaviour”

2021 Invited Speaker: French Glial Club - “Astrocytes and the regulation of feeding behaviour”

2019   Invited (plenary) Speaker:  British Society for Neuroendocrinology, Early Career Research Symposium. “Astrocytes and the regulation of feeding behaviour”

2019   Invited Speaker:  Physiology of Obesity & Diabetes Symposium, Aberdeen. “Regulation of food intake by brainstem astrocytes”

2019   Invited Speaker:  Physiology of Obesity & Diabetes Symposium, Aberdeen. “Regulation of food intake by brainstem astrocytes”

2019   Invited Speaker: Departments of Physiology & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge - “Astrocytes and the regulation of feeding behaviour”

2018 Invited Speaker: Department of Pharmacology, University of Bath - Astrocytes and the regulation of feeding behaviour"

2018   Invited Speaker: International Congress in Neuroendocrinology, Toronto, Canada - Astrocyte inflammation and energy homeostasis

2018   Invited Speaker: American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting, Orlando FL - Astrocyte inflammation and energy homeostasis

2018   Invited Speaker: Department of Neuroscience, King's College London - The emerging role of astrocytes in the regulation of energy homeostasis

2016    Invited speaker:  University of Dundee, Division of Cardiovascular & Diabetes Medicine Seminar Series, - Glial cells in the regulation of energy homeostasis

2015   Invited Speaker: Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine Seminar Series, – Evidence for a novel role for astrocytes in the modulation of feeding behaviour

2015    Invited speaker: 9th Mammalian Genes, Development and Disease Meeting, University of Bath – Evidence for a novel role for astrocytes in the modulation of feeding behaviour

2012   Invited Speaker: The Jackson Laboratory & Scripps Institute Educational Symposium; La Jolla, CA – Assessing energy balance from human to the mouse

2010   Invited Speaker: Experimental Biology Annual Meeting; Anaheim, CA – Why is my mouse fat? - Assessing energy balance in the mouse.

2008   Invited Speaker: The Center for Diabetes and Obesity Research, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX - Inflammation and the pathophysiology of obesity and metabolic syndrome

2008   Invited Speaker: The Burnham Institute Annual Symposium - Obesity and diabetes in the 21st century: from basic research to drug discovery; San Diego, CA – The role of the central melanocortin system in glucose homeostasis and metabolic syndrome

2007   Invited Speaker: The Jackson Laboratory Discovery Strategies Conference: Modeling the human metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in rodents; Bar Harbor, ME - The melanocortin-3 receptor null mouse – A model of obesity in the absence of metabolic syndrome.

2003   Invited Speaker: Digestive Disease Week; Orlando, FL – The role of the central melanocortin system in the regulation of food intake.

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Teaching

BSc Neuroscience

  • NEU3023 - Neuroendocrinology, Lecturer

MSc Neuroscience

  • NEUM005 - Neuroendocrinology, Lecturer
  • Academic tutor

Modules

2023/24

Information not currently available


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Supervision / Group

Postgraduate researchers

  • Asmaa Alkhalidi
  • Wyn Firth

Research Technicians

  • Katherine Pye

Alumni

  • Alastair MacDonald
  • Nicole Morrissey
  • Josephine Robb
  • Hannah Smithers
  • Julia Vlachaki Walker

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Office Hours:

Tuesdays 9-11am - Please email to arrange an appointment

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