New Senior Research Fellow joins NUS group to launch metabolism programme

Raj Kamal Srivastava obtained his PhD in 2008 at the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science in Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He did postdoctoral studies at the Institute for Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany. His studied the role of central and peripheral CB1 receptor in obesity and behavioral disorder using transgenic mouse lines deleted for CB1 receptor in adrenergic and noradrenergic neurons, CamK2a expressing neurons, and adipocytes. CB1 receptor deletion from adipocytes revealed a significant role of the brain-sensory-adipocyte axis in obesity. The data highlight the role of CB1 receptor in sympathetic activity, food intake and stress induced obesity. At the NUS lab, Raj will lead studies on the roles of activin receptors ALK4 and ALK7 in adipogeneiss, adipose tissue homeostasis and obesity.