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A Nociceptin Central Amygdala to Hindbrain Circuit for the Control of Palatable Food Consumption

Award Number: K01DK115902
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/20/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2023

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A Nociceptin Central Amygdala to Hindbrain Circuit for the Control of Palatable Food Consumption - Project Summary Candidate: I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate within the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and the UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders in the Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Career Goals: My ultimate goal is to understand the neural circuits that regulate palatable food intake that contribute to diseases like obesity and binge eating disorder. By researching the underlying signaling pathways and molecular circuitry in these neurochemically defined neuron ensembles, I will develop targeted, novel preclinical treatments for obesity and binge eating disorder for testing in construct valid animal models of obesity and binge eating disorder. Career Development: My current expertise is in molecular neuroscience and genetics, so I hope to gain additional mentored training in 1) neural circuits including photometry, advanced optogenetics, chemogenetics, and electrophysiology; 2) mouse operant behavior; and 3) clinical obesity phenotypes and metabolism within the current proposal. Research Project: This project leverages preliminary data that shows a specific role for prepronociceptin-expressing neurons in the central amygdala (PnocCeA neurons) in: promoting palatable food intake, modulating the severity of diet-induced obesity, and promoting reward through its inputs to the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). I aim to 1) measure the dynamic activity state of PnocCeA neurons during operant palatable food intake using in vivo fiber photometry, 2) determine the role of nociceptin signaling in the PBN and NTS on neural activity and the requisite role of this pathway in operant palatable food intake, and 3) use pathway- specific inhibitory optogenetics and chemogenetics to probe the specific role of the PnocCeA pathway to the PBN and NTS during operant palatable food intake. In future independent applications (R01s), I will assess circuit and molecular plasticity of PnocCeA networks following chronic palatable food access and diet-induced obesity. Environment: Research will be primarily performed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with some experiments performed at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences research program at Research Triangle Park in Durham, NC. Mentorship: The core mentorship team consists of Dr. Thomas Kash, lead mentor, who is a leading researcher in circuit neuroscience and consummatory behavior, and Dr. Cynthia Bulik, co-lead mentor, who is a nationally renowned expert in obesity and eating disorder research. Dr. Kari North, a co-mentor, is a leading researcher in clinical obesity phenotyping and genetics. Dr. Joyce Besheer, a co-mentor, is a very experienced researcher in rodent operant behavior. Dr. Guohong Cui and Dr. Michael Krashes, both consultants, have equipment for and routinely use in vivo fiber photometry of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators in awake, freely-behaving mice. Dr. Todd Thiele, a consultant, is an expert in neuropeptide signaling and local pharmacological manipulations during mouse behavior. Together, they will provide expertise to accomplish the scientific aims, mentorship for me to complete my training, and leadership to promote my transition to being an independent investigator.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	6	1/8/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $151,610 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	6	5/27/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$151,610
														Subtotal = $151,610

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $151,610 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	5	5/27/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$151,610
														Subtotal = $151,610

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $151,610 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	004	4	5/5/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$151,610
2020	2019	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	002	2	3/30/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2020	2019	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	2	3/20/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$84,770
2020	2019	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	003	3	3/30/2020	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2020	2019	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	001	3	3/20/2020	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$84,770
														Subtotal = $151,610

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $120,314 )
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	2	5/13/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$120,314
														Subtotal = $120,314

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $121,814 )
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	1	6/26/2018	NEW	$121,814
														Subtotal = $121,814

Grand Total All Awards = $696,958

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A Nociceptin Central Amygdala to Hindbrain Circuit for the Control of Palatable Food Consumption

Award Number: K01DK115902

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/20/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2023

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