Research focus
Our research aims to understand how obesity during pregnancy alters the development of the offspring’s hypothalamus, a key area of the brain responsible for regulating food intake and energy expenditure, and programs alterations in metabolic health later in life.
Background and experience
I became interested in neuroscience during my undergraduate studies at the University of Otago (Dunedin, NZ) and the University of Oregon (Eugene, USA). After returning to Otago, I joined Professor Christine Jasoni’s lab where I completed an Honours project and PhD. My PhD focussed on mapping the expression of leptin receptor mRNA in the postnatal mouse hypothalamus to understand where leptin signals within the hypothalamus to exert its effect on the development of ARC melanocortin circuitry.
Working at the IMS-MRL
My current project focusses on whether the use of glucagon like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) during pregnancy affects hypothalamic development and long-term metabolic health in the offspring. GLP1RAs, such as semaglutide sold under the brand name Ozempic, are commonly prescribed for weight loss and management of type 2 diabetes, although their use during pregnancy is currently not recommended. However increased GLP1RA used in women of reproductive age had led to an increase in “Ozempic babies”, where women unexpectedly become pregnant whilst using these drugs. Using a mouse model of maternal obesity, I will investigate the developmental origins of the GLP1R circuitry, and whether semaglutide exposure during fetal development affects the development of hypothalamic feeding circuitry. This project is funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship and co-supervised by Dr Alice Adriaenssens at University College London.
Awards
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship – 2024
University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship – 2020
