Jessica Yue, a newly recruited researcher in the Department of Physiology, has shown a link between how the brain can regulate fat metabolism, potentially stopping the development of this disease risk factor in obesity and diabetes. Her recent research into brain control of liver lipid production could cause break in obesity and diabetes treatment.
Yue's research is to look at how the infusion of oleic acid, a naturally occurring monounsaturated fatty acid, in the brain "triggers" a signal from the hypothalamus to the liver to lower its fat secretion, which Yue says is a "triglyceride-rich, very-low-density lipoprotein. Yue has recently applied for ADI membership, working with Peter Light, ADI Director, who co-authored her paper in Nature Communications.
Yue will be presenting her research entitled "Metabolic impacts of hormone and nutrient sensing in the brain" at the ADI Research In Progress seminar on Monday, March 23. The focus of her future research is to study how obesity and diabetes are treated.
For more information visit the UAlberta News & Events story That's using your head