51cg

Biography

• 2018–present: Lecturer, The Rowett Institute, 51cg
• 2015–2018: Principal Laboratory Research Scientist, The Francis Crick Institute, London
• 2012–2015: Senior Investigator Scientist, National Institute for Medical Research, London
• 2010–2012: Marie-Curie Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin
• 2007–2010: Research Associate, Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge
• 2005–2007: Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
• 2005: PhD, St John's College, Cambridge; Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge
• 2001: MSc (Biochemistry), Institute of Biotechnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico
• 1997: Medicine, Universidad LaSalle, Mexico City

Research Overview

My overall interest is the study of how the brain predicts and controls changes in metabolism in the body, and in particular how food intake is regulated.

My work revolves around these topics:

• Appetite and body weight control.
• Study of brain networks responsible for regulation of body metabolism, with a focus on hypothalamic networks.
• The role of brain glucose sensors: physiology and pharmacology of brain mechanisms that detect fluctuations in sugar.

Details

The hypothalamus in the brain plays a critical role in assessing the nutritional status of the organism and controlling metabolism accordingly. Food intake, for example, is a complex behaviour that is essentially regulated by the hypothalamus, as are other related functions such as peripheral metabolism, body temperature, etc.

Within the hypothalamus, a group of cells have the ability to detect local fluctuations in sugar. It is believed that this ability allows the brain to sense changes in sugar in the body and react accordingly by, for example, promoting food intake when blood sugar is too low. I study the cellular mechanisms utilised by brain sugar sensors to perform this job. Moreover, I am interested in investigating how these sugar sensors operate within the brain, how they communicate with other brain regions, and what their role is as part of the wider brain circuitry that controls appetite and body weight.

Funding and Grants

• BBSRC New Investigator Scheme (Sep 2021 - Aug 2024; £430k)
• Welcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund - ISSF@Aberdeen (Sep 2018; £20k)

Teaching Responsibilities

I teach various neuroscience-related topics at undergraduate and postgraduate level, see Courses above.

I addition, I have supervisory roles for undergraduates (tutorials, Honours projects) and MSc in Human Nutrition.