Lauren Lepeak

Research/Areas of Interest

It is widely understood that exercise is beneficial for both physical and mental health, and that exercise can reduce the risk of age-related dementias. However, the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that permit physical activity to act in a neuroprotective manner remain poorly understood. My research will focus on determining whether neural circuits in the ventromedial hypothalamus mediate exercise-induced effects in the brain. I will use chemogenetic, optogenetic, and viral techniques to manipulate and visualize neuronal activity, and will pair these strategies with behavioral and metabolic assays in mice to define the role of this region in mediating such effects. Using mouse models of Alzheimer's Disease, I will also test whether artificial stimulation of these exercise-responsive circuits can mimic the neuroprotective effects of exercise.