VUMC’s Cone set for Discovery Lecture
Roger Cone, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Obesity and Metabolism and chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, will deliver the next Discovery Lecture on Thursday, March 10.
Roger Cone, Ph.D.
His lecture, entitled “Energy in, energy out: What syndromic obesity has taught us about how the brain regulates body weight,” will begin at 4 p.m. in 208 Light Hall. A reception will follow the lecture, which is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs.
Syndromic obesity refers to obesity disorders caused by distinct genetic defects or chromosomal abnormalities. The most common is Prader-Willi Syndrome, which also is characterized by mental retardation and hyperphagia (excessive ingestion of food).
Cone, the Joe C. Davis Chair in Biomedical Science, is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and is internationally known for his research aimed at understanding how the central nervous system regulates energy stores.
He and his colleagues have shown that melanocortin-containing circuits in the central nervous system (CNS) normally integrate information about energy intake and expenditure to keep body weight constant. Defective melanocortin signaling in the CNS has been identified as the most common cause of severe early-onset obesity in humans.
For a schedule of Discovery Lectures and video of previous lectures, go to www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/discoveryseries.