Brain circuits that control metabolism and reproduction
Official title: Neural Substrates Controlling Metabolic and Reproductive State
Funded at University of Nevada Las Vegas · NIH-11376307 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses fruit flies to learn how brain circuits shift energy use and reproductive activity, with the goal of informing future care for people with adult-onset diabetes and PCOS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Las Vegas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Las Vegas, United States) |
| Project start | July 14, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $62,635 |
| NIH project number | 3R16GM150433-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11376307 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not enroll people, but its findings are intended to guide future studies that may recruit adults with type 2 diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment advances are unlikely to benefit directly because this is basic laboratory research in flies rather than a clinical trial.
What this research studies
Researchers will use genetically accessible fruit flies (Drosophila) to map the brain cells and signals that let the brain change metabolic and reproductive state when the environment changes. They will target specific neurons (including DN3 circadian neurons) and a neuropeptide called Allatostatin‑C, track how temperature and other cues alter neuron activity, and create a network map of the circuits that control energy conservation and reproductive arrest. Experiments use fly genetics, cellular-resolution imaging, and behavioral tests in the lab rather than enrolling people. The hope is that conserved principles found in flies will point to brain pathways relevant to human metabolic disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal brain pathways that become targets for new treatments or diagnostics for type 2 diabetes and PCOS.
How similar studies have gone: Basic research in model organisms has identified conserved neuropeptides and circuits tied to metabolism, but moving those discoveries into human therapies remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meiselman, Matthew Ramiah — University of Nevada Las Vegas
- Study coordinator: Meiselman, Matthew Ramiah
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Neural signals that control energy and reproduction in fruit flies
Researchers are studying how the brain in fruit flies decides when to use energy and when to pause reproduction, with potential relevance to human metabolic and reproductive health.
-
How epithelial cells coordinate polarity to build tissues and understand cancer spread
A research project is studying how cells in tissues organize themselves and communicate to form healthy tissues and how these same processes can go wrong in cancer to drive invasion and spread.
-
Plasmonic nanoantenna boosts ultra-sensitive fluorescence for cancer biomarkers
A new technique uses plasmonic nanoantennas combined with super-hydrophobic surfaces to dramatically increase the detection of cancer-related proteins in very tiny samples.
-
Bile salt tweaks to prevent C. difficile infections
This project tests new bile-salt–based compounds to stop C. difficile spores from germinating and causing infection, aiming to protect people who are at risk in hospital settings.
-
Time-of-day exercise and social jetlag: protecting the heart and metabolic health
A study to see if misaligned daily schedules (social jetlag) reduce the benefits of exercise on heart and metabolic health in adults.
-
Engineered lipid nanoparticles to deliver genetic medicines more precisely
A research team will improve lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver genetic medicines to specific body parts beyond the liver, aiming to help people with genetic diseases.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.