The research goal of my team is to understand the brain for the homeostatic control of whole body glucose metabolism. Its dysregulation can lead to the development of diabetes. Our interests include brain nutrient sensing, food intake, the neuronal circuitry from hypothalamus to peripheral tissues, mitochondrial dynamics and the changes of them in the diabetic and obese mouse models.

Our target region is the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), where both glucose excited and inhibited neurons exist. By using new technology, such as optogenetics and Crispr/Cas9 system, we investigate the role of VMH in the homeostatic control of glucose metabolism and development of diabetes.