Scherer Lab

Description

The lab is interested in understanding how hormones and nutrients are detected by the brain and how these metabolic signals are integrated in the CNS. Their research especially focuses on hormonal feedback mechanisms (i.e. insulin and leptin) that affect energy metabolism via modulation of autonomic nervous system outputs to organs, such as the liver, muscle, white and brown adipose tissue. Since the brain is able to communicate with several metabolic organs simultaneously via its neuronal connections, they are interested in elucidating novel neuronal regulatory pathways necessary to orchestrate glucose and lipid metabolism in selective metabolic states, such as high calorie feeding, insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes. New insights into the inter-organ crosstalk between the brain and the periphery under physiologic conditions and during disease likely provide novel drug targets to fight obesity and obesity-related comorbidities, like diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the lab strives to translate their findings from basic research into the clinics in order to advance patient care in human metabolic disease. (Description adapted from working group website: see link above)