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How tightly linked are our brains and metabolism?

One of the biggest challenges of modern society is the conflict between the evolutionary drive to survive under food-scarcity, and the current food abundance and extended lifespans in most parts of the world. Such challenges have led to the rapidly growing epidemic of obesity and metabolic diseases, which are also strongly related to the epidemic of neurological and mental health disorders, especially in our ageing population. Deciphering how metabolism is regulated by the brain and how brain function is regulated by cellular and systemic metabolism will provide key insights into metabolic and brain disorders over life course.

The IMCB Neurometabolism in Health & Disease Division examines the links between neural and metabolic systems, including how metabolic states may impact the brain; and in turn, how the brain helps to maintain optimal metabolic states for the body, by regulating feeding decisions and organ function. In addition, our Division studies the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying functional changes of neuronal cells, which are critical for maintaining not just neuron function, but also mental and metabolic health.

Our approach ranges from studying metabolism, behavior, and circuits at the organismal level, using animal models such as zebrafish and mice, to the cellular, organellar (such as cilia) and biochemical levels (such as protein interactions, phosphorylation). In addition, we use human metabolic, microbiome, and genetic data as well as human stem cell-derived tissues and organoids to integrate our preclinical findings with human biology.