Expertise

Neurobiology, Feeding Behavior, Eating Disorders, Neural Circuits, Hypothalamus, Motivation, Neuroscience

Biography

The neurobiological mechanisms underlying diseases associated with dysregulated feeding, including eating disorders, are far less understood compared to other psychiatric illnesses. From what we do know, there are large overlaps in the neural circuits affected by both under- and overconsumption across species, allowing for the investigation of seemingly opposing disease states using similar experimental approaches. Dr. Ames Sutton Hickey's lab (The ASH Lab) seeks to understand the basic neurobiology of feeding behavior, with an emphasis on identifying the neural circuit pathways underlying susceptibility to under- or over-nutrition. To this end, the ASH lab uses a variety of genetic and behavioral rodent models in combination with systems neuroscience techniques. 

Dr. Ames Sutton Hickey received her PhD in Molecular and Integrative Physiology from the University of Michigan, under the co-mentorship of Dr. David Olson and Dr. Martin Myers Jr. Her postdoctoral training was under Dr. Kay Tye (MIT) and Dr. Michael Krashes (NIH/NIDDK), where she used systems neuroscience approaches to primarily determine how food deprivation alters neural circuits and behavior. Her lab is opening in January 2023.

Website

Selected Publications