The nutrients we eat shape our bodies and brains. The Chee lab investigates the impact of dietary sugars on neuronal function, body weight regulation, and decision making.
The hypothalamus controls food intake to maintain energy balance. The Chee lab investigates how neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, gut hormones, and organ-derived factors influence hypothalamic circuitry.
Hunger is an emergency signal that prevents starvation and death, but it is not the only signal that living organisms must protect against to ensure survival. The Chee lab investigates the circuits and mechanisms allowing organisms to prioritize hunger over other survival pressures like the experience of pain or encounters with predators.
