Huxing Cui, Ph.D.

In order to maintain energy homeostasis, the central nervous system must sense and gather information from periphery on energy status and coordinate appropriate responses, ranging from mood and behavior to activity of the autonomic nervous system, to keep balanced energy intake and expenditure. Any disruption in these physiological processes can lead to serious health problems including disordered eating behaviors, obesity and associated chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. The goal of my research is to better map the complicated network of neural circuits and uncover signaling mechanisms that control metabolic homeostasis and cardiovascular function. To tease apart the complex neural networks and neuronal signaling that control these distinct physiological processes, we employee the state-of-the-art techniques, including in vivo Cre/loxP, optogenetics and chemogenetics, combined with behavioral neuroscience, neuroanatomy, systemic physiology, molecular biology, biochemical assay and electrophysiology.