Research Focus
Our research focuses on understanding how maternal obesity influences brain development and function in offspring. We aim to uncover the mechanisms through which early environmental factors program long-term brain health.
Background and Experience
I developed an interest in neuroscience during my studies at The University of Hong Kong, where I completed both an MPhil and PhD. My PhD focused on the antidepressant-like effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in a mouse model of chronic stress, using a range of stereotaxic surgery, behavioral and molecular techniques. Prior to this, my MPhil explored the neuroprotective effects of Hericium erinaceus in animal models of depression and cerebellar ataxia, focusing on the hippocampus.
My work in neuromodulation sparked an interest in how early environmental factors, such as maternal obesity, could influence brain development and function at later age. This led me to join Dr Laura Dearden's lab at the IMS-MRL, where I am investigating the impact of maternal obesity on hypothalamus development, focusing on the role of brain insulin.
Working at the IMS-MRL
My current project aims to explore the role of insulin in mediating some the effects of obesity in pregnancy on offspring neurodevelopment. Our lab have previously shown that offspring of obese mice have insulin resistance in the part of their brain that controls energy homeostasis (hypothalamus), which leads to overeating (hyperphagia) and other metabolic disturbances later in life. Interestingly, when the obese mothers are given the opportunity to exercise, the negative effects on their offspring are reversed.
To further investigate this phenomenon, we are focusing on the fetal hypothalamus at a critical point during the baby’s brain development. We use ex vivo and in vivo techniques to study how insulin affects the proliferation and differentiation of neural cells from the fetal hypothalamus. Additionally, we are using a transgenic mouse model that allows us to remove the ability of the fetus to sense the high glucose levels that occur in pregnancies complicated by obesity, so the fetus does not release high insulin in response to the high glucose. This allows us to isolate the role of insulin from other factors in influencing fetal brain development.
Techniques involved in my research include primary cell culture, fetal brain surgery, transcriptomic and imaging techniques, as well as behavioural and metabolic phenotyping. By understanding how insulin impacts the fetal brain, I hope to uncover new insights into the mechanisms of metabolic disorders and provide potential therapeutic targets for preventing obesity-related diseases.
Awards
- Silver Award — Geneva International Invention Exhibition 2022
- Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2020/21 Award
- Li Ka Shing Prize 2019-2020 (Best MPhil thesis in the Faculties of Dentistry, Engineering, Medicine, and Science, The University of Hong Kong)
