TODAY’S COLLOQUIUM HAS BEEN CANCELLED. DR BEGG’S TALK WILL BE RESCHEDULED IN SEMESTER 2.

Dr Denovan Begg

School of Psychology, University of New South Wales

Title: The neural basis of ingestive behaviours

Abstract: Homeostatic regulation of ingestive behaviour is generally considered to be essential for survival. Despite eating often being thought of as a homeostatic behaviour, there is little evidence to suggest that eating is an automatic response to an acute shortage of energy. Instead, food intake can be considered an integrated response over a prolonged period of time that maintains the levels of stored energy. In addition, many non-homeostatic factors, including palatability, stress, learning, and social influences, interact to regulate food intake. My lab examines the neural circuitry involved in maintaining ingestive behaviours, using advanced techniques including optogenetics, chemogenetics and fibre photometry. In this talk I will present some of our recent data on the interaction between homeostatic signals and non-homeostatic factors regulating ingestive behaviour. Further, we will examine how these neural circuits may be involved in the treatments of obesity, specifically bariatric surgery.