Grant: Operating Grant

My laboratory is studying the biology of gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)-secreting neurons located in a specific region of the brain, the hypothalamus. GnRH is the primary regulator of reproduction, and is controlled by estrogen levels in the body. Infertility, and conversely, safe contraceptive methods are both major reproductive health concerns, and knowledge of the signals involved in the control of GnRH synthesis is therefore important for our comprhension of reproductive function and failure. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Kisspeptin (KISS), hormones produced by other specific hypothalamic neurons, have a profound impact on reproduction. Yet despite the significance of NPY and KISS on the overall control of reproductive capability, little is known about how NPY/KISS neurons directly affect the GnRH-producing neurons. We are studying both the direct action of these neurons on the GnRH neuron, and more generally how the NPY and KISS neurons are regulated by estrogen. Our research will provide insights into the control of the expression of GnRH, NPY, and KISS genes by estrogen. Further, unravelling the complexities involved in the control of GnRH neuronal activity by NPY and KISS at the molecular level will contribute critical knowledge for applications with both physiological and therapeutical relevance.