Tamas L. Horvath DVM, PhD
Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Comparative Medicine and Professor of Neurobiology and of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Chair, Section of Comparative Medicine; Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research, Director, Yale Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism
Research Interests
Neurobiology of obesity; Neuroendocrine physiology
Research Summary
My main interest is the neuroendocrine regulation of homeostasis with particular emphasis on metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes, and the effect of metabolic signals on higher brain functions and neurodegeneration. We have active research programs to pursue the role of synaptic plasticity in the mediation of peripheral hormones’ effects on the central nervous system.
We also study the role of mitochondrial membrane potential in normal and pathological brain functions with particular emphasis on the acute effect of mitochondria in neuronal transmission and neuroprotection. We combine classical neurobiological approaches, including electrophysiology and neuroanatomy, with endocrine and genetic techniques to better understand biological events at the level of the organism.
Extensive Research Description
My main interest is the neuroendocrine regulation of homeostasis with particular emphasis on metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes, and the effect of metabolic signals on higher brain functions and neurodegeneration. We have active research programs to pursue the role of synaptic plasticity in the mediation of peripheral hormones’ effects on the central nervous system.
We also study the role of mitochondrial membrane potential in normal and pathological brain functions with particular emphasis on the acute effect of mitochondria in neuronal transmission and neuroprotection. We combine classical neurobiological approaches, including electrophysiology and neuroanatomy, with endocrine and genetic techniques to better understand biological events at the level of the organism.
Selected Publications
- Peroxisome proliferation-associated control of reactive oxygen species sets melanocortin tone and feeding in diet-induced obesity. Diano S, Liu ZW, Jeong JK, Dietrich MO, Ruan HB, Kim E, Suyama S, Kelly K, Gyengesi E, Arbiser JL, Belsham DD, Sarruf DA, Schwartz MW, Bennett AM, Shanabrough M, Mobbs CV, Yang X, Gao XB, Horvath TL. Nat Med. 2011 Aug 28;17(9):1121-7. doi: 10.1038/nm.2421.
- Dietrich MO, Antunes C, Geliang G, Liu Z-W, Borok E, Nie Y, Xu AW, Souza DO, Gao Q, Diano S, Gao X-B, Horvath TL (2010) AgRP neurons mediate Sirt1’s action on the melanocortin system and energy balance: roles for SirT1 in neuronal firing and synaptic plasticity. J Neurosci 2010 Sep 1;30(35):11815-25.
- Horvath TL, Sarman B, García-Cáceres C, Enriori PJ, Shanabrough M, Borok E, Argente J, Chowen JA, Perez-Tilve D, Pfluger PT, Brönneke HS, Levin BE, Diano S, Cowley MA, Tschöp MH (2010) Synaptic Input Organization of the Melanocortin System Predicts Diet-Induced Hypothalamic Reactive Gliosis and Obesity. PNAS 2010 Aug 17;107(33):14875-80. Epub 2010 Aug 2.
- Andrews ZB, Liu ZW, Walllingford N, Erion DM, Borok E, Friedman JM, Tschöp MH, Shanabrough M, Cline G, Shulman GI, Coppola A, Gao XB, Horvath TL, Diano S (2008) UCP2 mediates ghrelin's action on NPY/AgRP neurons by lowering free radicals. Nature. 454(7206):846-51.
- Gao Q, Horvath TL (2007) Neurobiology of feeding and energy expenditure. Annu Rev Neurosci. 30:367-98
- Gao, Q., et al. (2007). Anorectic estrogen mimics leptin’s effect on the rewiring of melanocortin cells and Stat3 signaling in obese animals. Nat. Med. 13(1):89-94.
- Dietrich MO, Andrews ZB, Horvath TL (2008) Exercise-induced synaptogenesis in the hippocampus is dependent on UCP2-regulated mitochondrial adaptation. J Neurosci. 28(42):10766-71
- Diano S, Farr SA, Benoit SC, McNay EC, da Silva I, Horvath B, Gaskin FS, Nonaka N, Jaeger LB, Banks WA, Morley JE, Pinto S, Sherwin RS, Xu L, Yamada KA, Sleeman MW, Tschöp MH, Horvath TL (2006) Ghrelin controls hippocampal spine synapse density and memory performance. Nat Neurosci. 9(3):381-8.
- Gao Q, Mezei G, Nie Y, Rao Y, Choi CS, Bechmann I, Leranth C, Toran-Allerand D, Priest CA, Roberts JL, Gao XB, Mobbs C, Shulman GI, Diano S, Horvath TL (2007) Anorectic estrogen mimics leptin's effect on the rewiring of melanocortin cells and Stat3 signaling in obese animals. Nat Med. 13(1):89-94.
