I am a senior majoring in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science at the University of Arizona. In the lab of Dr. Haijiang Cai, we are investigating neural circuits underlying feeding and anxiety. Obesity is a rising health concern in modern society and has strong associations with depression. As a result, there has been a push to find drugs and pharmacological agents that can suppress feeding; however, these drugs and agents may also play roles in mediating emotion. My project focuses particularly on the central brain mechanism of cholecystokinin (CCK), a neuropeptide released in the small intestine, which signals to the brain that one is full. By knowing how peripheral CCK signals to the central brain for satiety, we hope to find novel drug targets for treatment. In my free time, you can find me taking walks, singing, or sleeping.
