The overarching goal of my research program is to study how the brain regulates appetite.  My laboratory pursues this goal using a multi-pronged approach in rats and mice including investigating the mechanisms underlying the satiety effects of hormones in the brain, studying how stress affects neural circuits involved in appetite regulation, and examining how neurotransmitters like nitric oxide and endogenous cannabinoids modulate neuronal communication in brain regions linked to appetite and stress.  We use a combination of electrophysiological, molecular, surgical, and behavioral techniques to study these topics in rodents to ultimately gain insight into obesity and stress disorders in humans.