Speaker: Supriya Srinivasan, Scripps

Seminar Date: Tuesday August 16 2016, 12.00pm

Abstract: A strong body of evidence shows that our genetic makeup controls our metabolism. Genes influence how our brain drives hunger and food intake, and how our bodies will extract and partition the nutrients from food. Another layer of regulation is the influence of hormones. We now understand that the metabolic organs of the body are in constant conversation with our brains, and that they also influence one another via hormonal signals. Added to the intricacies of genetics and physiology is the profoundly changing food landscape in which we live. In this lecture, we will examine the biology of metabolism and how it goes awry in disease. We will discuss the critical unknown questions, the potential of basic research, and state-of-the-art technologies currently in use to better diagnose, prevent and treat the twin scourges of diabetes and obesity.