Justin Wang

Program: Neurosciences

Current advisor: Alexxai V. Kravitz, PhD

Undergraduate university: New York University, 2018

Enrollment year: 2020

Research summary
Dissecting striatopallidal circuits modulating feeding behavior

Over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, with the recent rise in obesity prevalence strongly correlated with widespread access to palatable, energy-dense foods. These foods, typically highly processed and rich in calories, salt, sugar, and fat, exhibit extraordinary appetitive properties, leading to pathological overeating. For instance, palatable foods can override the body’s satiety signals, while regular consumption can cause taste desensitization, making healthier options taste bland in comparison. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that the reinforcing properties of such foods activate reward circuitry, leading to a dissociation between caloric need (the number of calories required to maintain stable weight) and food intake (the number of calories consumed), which ultimately results in obesity. While numerous brain areas are involved in appetite control, this research focuses on the ventral pallidum (VP), a major relay structure in the reward system which plays a key role in processing the pleasure and motivation associated with ingestive behavior. However, the potential to manipulate VP activity to suppress or reverse excessive body weight remains unexplored. In my thesis research, I plan to use a multifaceted approach to investigate VP neuronal responses during palatable food consumption and how this activity contributes to pathological consumption behavior.

Graduate publications