Akhila Rajan

Research Summary

We investigate how fat stores communicate with the brain to control physiology. Our inquiries have led us to unexpected and fundamental discoveries in the realms of both cell biology [how nutrient state regulates nucleocytoplasmic localization of fat hormones/adipokines] and neurobiology [how adipokines influence synapse number to maintain body weight]. Active ongoing projects: i) how fat cells package adipokines for delivery to the brain; ii) elucidate interactions between fat stores and innate immune axes; iii) uncover how adipokine localization controls hunger-driven feeding motivation.