Monoamines such as norepinephrine and serotonin have powerful influence on appetite, however, how they interact with hypothalamic feeding pathways has been poorly understood. We use transgenic mouse lines to gain access to specific monoaminergic neuronal subpopulations to track their contribution to appetite regulation under normal and impaired metabolic conditions. 

AgRP neurons are key hypothalamic cell population that has profound influence in appetite and metabolism. How these neurons adapt and contribute to feeding disorders is not well understood. We are using various genetic and environmental mouse models to understand molecular maladaptations in AgRP neurons and their connections.