Welcome to the Brain Metabolism Lab

At the Brain Metabolism Lab, we study the connections between the body’s metabolism and the health of the brain. Our team is dedicated to understanding how conditions such as diabetes and obesity influence brain structure, function, and overall well-being.

We use a unique combination of approaches: advanced brain imaging provides a window into the brain’s metabolism, activity and structure, and classic metabolic testing helps us measure how the body processes energy. Together, these methods allow us to see the full picture of how changes in metabolism affect brain health.

Our research focuses on key questions:

• How do nutrients like sugar, fat and protein influence brain development and daily function?

• In what ways does the body’s metabolism shape the brain — and vice versa?

• How can this knowledge be used to design new strategies for treating diabetes, obesity and neurologic diseases?

Ultimately, our mission is to translate discoveries into better care for patients. While our work has immediate relevance for endocrinology, it also extends to many other areas of medicine where energy balance and hormones affect the body and brain together.

This site was created to facilitate dissemination of scientific information to the public. Any opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.