I have worked in Endocrine, Nutrition and Obesity research for the past 19 years. Prior to Roehampton, the majority of my research has been carried at Imperial College, where I was a PhD student then postdoctoral fellow. After leaving Imperial College I worked as a Senior Scientist at Prosidion Ltd, a pharmaceutical company focusing on developing novel treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes. I joined University of Roehampton in February 2012.

• BSc in Biochemistry with Pharmacology-The University of Southampton
• PhD in Biochemistry - Imperial College , University of London

My research focuses on the physiological mechanisms regulating energy homeostasis. Energy homeostasis is regulated by the central nervous system, particularly the hypothalamus and brain stem. These regions are sensitive to circulating factors which signal long term energy stores and nutritional status. Peptide hormones secreted from the gastro-intestinal tract have been shown to be crucial regulators of appetite and satiety. These peptides are released into circulation from the gastrointestinal tract in response to nutritional status. In circulation they act as signals of satiety or hunger sensed by the hypothalamus and/or brainstem. My research seeks to improve our understanding of both; the mechanism behind the release of these peptides and the hypothalamic pathways through which they signal hunger or satiety. In particular I have studied the gastrointestinal peptides ghrelin, oxyntomodulin, peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon like peptide (GLP-1). Ghrelin is a peptide release from the stomach thought to act as a hunger signal; whereas oxyntomodulin, PYY and GLP-1 are all released from the gut and act as satiety signals. Improving our understanding of these gastrointestinal regulators of feeding has the potential to aid the development of novel therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes. More recently I have focused on 3 areas; (1) The effect of chronic social stress on the neuroendocrine regulation of energy balance (2) The regulation of the novel gut hormone Prouroguanylin. (3) The role of the Thyroid hormone Beta receptor in the regulation of energy balance.

Society For Neuroendocrinology

Society for Nutrition

I am the Programme Convenor for MSc Clinical Nutrition and MRes Nutrition and Metabolsim