Kevin Behar, PhD
Senior Research Scientist in PsychiatryCards
About
Titles
Senior Research Scientist in Psychiatry
Director, MRRC Neurometabolism Research Laboratory
Appointments
Psychiatry
Senior Research ScientistPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Yale University (1986)
- PhD
- Yale University (1985)
Research
Overview
- NMR studies to elucidate the role of glucose and alternate fuel substrates in support of brain activity and glutamate/GABA/glutamine cycling in diabetes and mood disorders.
- NMR studies of GABA synthesis in the brain
Medical Research Interests
Central Nervous System; Glutamates; Glutamine; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Psychiatry
Publications
2025
Reduced removal of waste products from energy metabolism takes center stage in human brain aging
Mangia S, DiNuzzo M, Ponticorvo S, Dienel G, Behar K, Benveniste H, Hyder F, Giove F, Herculano-Houzel S, Petroff O, Eberly L, Filip P, Michaeli S, Rothman D. Reduced removal of waste products from energy metabolism takes center stage in human brain aging. Scientific Reports 2025, 15: 8127. PMID: 40057554, PMCID: PMC11890754, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-90342-3.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Deficits in brain glucose transport among younger adults with obesity
Gunawan F, Matson B, Coppoli A, Jiang L, Ding Y, Perry R, Sanchez‐Rangel E, DeAguiar R, Behar K, Rothman D, Mason G, Hwang J. Deficits in brain glucose transport among younger adults with obesity. Obesity 2024, 32: 1329-1338. PMID: 38764181, DOI: 10.1002/oby.24034.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBrain glucose transportLean participantsMarkers of insulin resistanceMagnetic resonance spectroscopy scansEffect of obesityAssociated with alterationsLong-term brain functionCerebral glucose metabolic rateGlucose transportGlucose metabolic rateCardiometabolic comorbiditiesBrain energy utilizationPeripheral markersHyperglycemic clampInsulin resistanceObesityBrain glucose uptakeHuman findingsEating behaviorsYounger ageYoung healthy participantsNeurocognitive functionGlucose transport capacityBrain functionNonesterified fatty acidsBrain maps of pCO2, pO2 and pH in aging via homeostatic modeling of neuroimaging data across the lifespan
Mangia S, DiNuzzo M, Dienel G, Behar K, Benveniste H, Giove F, Herculano S, Wolf M, Li X, Filip P, Michaeli S, Rothman D. Brain maps of pCO2, pO2 and pH in aging via homeostatic modeling of neuroimaging data across the lifespan. Proceedings Of The International Society For Magnetic Resonance In Medicine ... Scientific Meeting And Exhibition. 2024 DOI: 10.58530/2024/3889.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Neurovascular coupling is optimized to compensate for the increase in proton production from nonoxidative glycolysis and glycogenolysis during brain activation and maintain homeostasis of pH, pCO2, and pO2
DiNuzzo M, Dienel G, Behar K, Petroff O, Benveniste H, Hyder F, Giove F, Michaeli S, Mangia S, Herculano‐Houzel S, Rothman D. Neurovascular coupling is optimized to compensate for the increase in proton production from nonoxidative glycolysis and glycogenolysis during brain activation and maintain homeostasis of pH, pCO2, and pO2. Journal Of Neurochemistry 2023, 168: 632-662. PMID: 37150946, PMCID: PMC10628336, DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15839.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHigher cerebral blood flowCerebral blood flowOxygen extraction fractionNeurovascular couplingBlood flowLower oxygen extraction fractionNonoxidative glycolysisCerebral metabolic rateBrain pHCapillary densityNeurovascular diseasesNonoxidative metabolismTissue oxygenationHuman cortexBrain functionExtraction fractionBrain activationMitochondrial ATP productionPET measurementsCMROOxygen consumptionHomeostasisGlycogenolysisFMRI contrastActivationMeasurement of neuro‐energetics and neurotransmission in the rat olfactory bulb using 1H and 1H–[13C] NMR spectroscopy
Chowdhury G, Behar K, Mason G, Rothman D, de Graaf R. Measurement of neuro‐energetics and neurotransmission in the rat olfactory bulb using 1H and 1H–[13C] NMR spectroscopy. NMR In Biomedicine 2023, 37: e4957. PMID: 37088548, PMCID: PMC10590826, DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4957.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMapping of exogenous choline uptake and metabolism in rat glioblastoma using deuterium metabolic imaging (DMI)
Ip K, Thomas M, Behar K, de Graaf R, De Feyter H. Mapping of exogenous choline uptake and metabolism in rat glioblastoma using deuterium metabolic imaging (DMI). Frontiers In Cellular Neuroscience 2023, 17: 1130816. PMID: 37187610, PMCID: PMC10175635, DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1130816.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBrain tumorsNormal brainHigh tumorCholine uptakeRG2 cellsCholine infusionMetabolic imagingExogenous cholineMetabolic imaging techniquesDeuterium metabolic imagingIntravenous infusionRG2 tumorsTumor lesionsAnimal modelsCholine metabolismTumorsInfusionRat glioblastomaIntracellular cholineFree cholineHigh uptakeLesionsCholineRatsDeuterated cholineThe early days of ex vivo 1H, 13C, and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance in the laboratory of Dr. Robert G. Shulman from 1975 to 1995
Rothman D, Behar K, Petroff O, Shulman R. The early days of ex vivo 1H, 13C, and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance in the laboratory of Dr. Robert G. Shulman from 1975 to 1995. NMR In Biomedicine 2023, 36: e4879. PMID: 36424353, DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4879.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
Mechanistic stoichiometric relationship between the rates of neurotransmission and neuronal glucose oxidation: Reevaluation of and alternatives to the pseudo‐malate‐aspartate shuttle model
Rothman D, Behar K, Dienel G. Mechanistic stoichiometric relationship between the rates of neurotransmission and neuronal glucose oxidation: Reevaluation of and alternatives to the pseudo‐malate‐aspartate shuttle model. Journal Of Neurochemistry 2022, 168: 555-591. PMID: 36089566, DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15619.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMitochondrial carriersSubcellular compartmentationCultured glutamatergic neuronsMechanistic basisMajor knowledge gapsMechanistic stoichiometryExtracellular GlnGlycolytic metabolismNeuronal compartmentsPre-synaptic structuresGlucose oxidationShuttle modelAlternative mechanismStoichiometric relationshipGlnDiseased brainNeuronal glucose metabolismMetabolismGluAminobutyric acidGlutamatergic neuronsKnowledge gapsCyclingMitochondriaCompartmentation
2021
Methods | 13C MRS Measurements of in Vivo Rates of the Glutamate/Glutamine and GABA/Glutamine Neurotransmitter Cycles
Rothman D, De Feyter H, Mason G, de Graaf R, Hyder F, Behar K. Methods | 13C MRS Measurements of in Vivo Rates of the Glutamate/Glutamine and GABA/Glutamine Neurotransmitter Cycles. 2021, 688-700. DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819460-7.00341-8.Chapters
2020
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the rodent brain: Experts' consensus recommendations
Lanz B, Abaei A, Braissant O, Choi I, Cudalbu C, Henry P, Gruetter R, Kara F, Kantarci K, Lee P, Lutz N, Marjańska M, Mlynárik V, Rasche V, Xin L, Valette J, Behar K, Boumezbeur F, Deelchand D, Dreher W, Klaunberg B, Ligneul C, Lindquist D, Öz G, Tkáč I, Williams S. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the rodent brain: Experts' consensus recommendations. NMR In Biomedicine 2020, 34: e4325. PMID: 33565219, PMCID: PMC9429976, DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4325.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConsensus recommendationsExpert consensus recommendationsAnimal modelsMetabolite concentrationsClinical MRS studiesBrain metabolismRodent modelsMRS studiesRodent brainTissue changesHealthy animalsDisease modelsAdditional biochemical informationMRSC MRSVivo MRSMetabolic rateMagnetic resonance spectroscopyMetabolic flux measurementsRelated disturbancesSymptomsBrain
News & Links
News
Get In Touch
Contacts
Email
Mailing Address
Yale School of Medicine
MRRC-TAC, N151, PO Box 208043
New Haven, CT 06510-8043
United States