Abizaid Lab
Feeding Behaviour, Energy Balance, Reward Systems, Stress
RESEARCH FOCUS
How metabolic hormones like ghrelin influence reward-seeking behaviours via actions on the brain systems related to reward and fear
How prenatal factors like diet, environmental pollutants, or gestational diabetes influence the development of brain systems implicated in the regulation of feeding and energy balance in offspring
How the hormone ghrelin influences feeding as a coping mechanism to mitigate the effects of chronic social stress
LAB MEMBERS
PUBLICATIONS
For a comprehensive listing of peer-reviewed articles authored by Dr. Alfonso Abizaid, please visit his Google Scholar profile here.
Hyland, L., Park, S. -B., Abdelaziz, Y., & Abizaid, A. (2021). Metabolic effects of ghrelin delivery in the hypothalamic ventral premammilary nucleus of male mice. Physiology & Behavior, 228, eArticle 113208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113208
Hyland, L., Park, S. -B., Abdelaziz, Y., & Abizaid, A. (2020). Ghrelin infused into the dorsomedial hypothalamus of male mice increases food intake and adiposity. Physiology & Behavior, 220, eArticle 112882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112882
Abizaid, A. (2019). Stress and obesity: The ghrelin connection. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 31, eArticle 12693. https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12693
Hyland, L., Rosenbaum, S., Edwards, A., Palacios, D., Graham, M. D., Pfaus, J. G., Woodside, B., & Abizaid, A. (2018). Central ghrelin receptor stimulation modulates sex motivation in male rats in a site dependent manner. Hormones and Behavior, 97, 56-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.10.012
Edwards, A., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Driving the need to feed: Insight into the collaborative interaction between ghrelin and endocannabinoid systems in modulating brain reward systems. Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, 66, 33-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurbiorev.2016.03.032
King, S. J., Rodrigues, T., Watts, A., Murray, E., Wilson, A., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Investigation of a role for ghrelin signalling in binge-like feeding in mice under limited access to high fat diet. Journal of Neuroscience, 319, 233-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.004
MacKay, H., Charbonneau, V. R., St-Onge, V., Murray, E., Watts, A., Wellman, M. K., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Rats with a truncated ghrelin receptor (GHSR) do not respond to ghrelin, and show reduced intake of palatable, high-calorie food. Physiology & Behavior, 163, 88-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.048
St-Onge, V., Watts, A., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Ghrelin enhances cue-induced bar pressing for high fat food. Hormones and Behavior, 78, 141-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.11.005
Wellman, M., & Abizaid, A. (2015). Knockdown of central ghrelin-o-acyltransferase by vivo-morpholino reduces body mass of rats fed a high-fat diet. Peptides, 70, 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1016.j.peptides.2015.05.007
Waddington Lamont, E., Bruton, J., Blum, I. D., & Abizaid, A. (2014). Ghrelin receptor-knockout mice display alterations in circadian rhythms of activity and feeding under constant lighting conditions. European Journal of Neuroscience, 39, 207-217. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.12390
Sotonyi, P, Mezei, G., Racz, B., Dallman, M. F., Abizaid, A., & Horvath, T. L. (2010). Gonadotropin-releasing hormone fibres contact POMC neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. Reproductive Sciences, 17(11), 1024-1028. https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719110378346
Patterson, Z. R., Ducharme, R., Anisman, H., & Abizaid, A. (2010). Altered metabolic and neurochemical responses to chronic unpredictable stressors in ghrelin receptor-deficient mice. European Journal of Neuroscience, 32, 632-639. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07310.x
Hyland, L., Park, S. -B., Abdelaziz, Y., & Abizaid, A. (2020). Ghrelin infused into the dorsomedial hypothalamus of male mice increases food intake and adiposity. Physiology & Behavior, 220, eArticle 112882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112882
Abizaid, A. (2019). Stress and obesity: The ghrelin connection. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 31, eArticle 12693. https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12693
Hyland, L., Rosenbaum, S., Edwards, A., Palacios, D., Graham, M. D., Pfaus, J. G., Woodside, B., & Abizaid, A. (2018). Central ghrelin receptor stimulation modulates sex motivation in male rats in a site dependent manner. Hormones and Behavior, 97, 56-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.10.012
Edwards, A., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Driving the need to feed: Insight into the collaborative interaction between ghrelin and endocannabinoid systems in modulating brain reward systems. Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, 66, 33-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurbiorev.2016.03.032
King, S. J., Rodrigues, T., Watts, A., Murray, E., Wilson, A., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Investigation of a role for ghrelin signalling in binge-like feeding in mice under limited access to high fat diet. Journal of Neuroscience, 319, 233-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.004
MacKay, H., Charbonneau, V. R., St-Onge, V., Murray, E., Watts, A., Wellman, M. K., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Rats with a truncated ghrelin receptor (GHSR) do not respond to ghrelin, and show reduced intake of palatable, high-calorie food. Physiology & Behavior, 163, 88-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.048
St-Onge, V., Watts, A., & Abizaid, A. (2016). Ghrelin enhances cue-induced bar pressing for high fat food. Hormones and Behavior, 78, 141-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.11.005
Wellman, M., & Abizaid, A. (2015). Knockdown of central ghrelin-o-acyltransferase by vivo-morpholino reduces body mass of rats fed a high-fat diet. Peptides, 70, 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1016.j.peptides.2015.05.007
Waddington Lamont, E., Bruton, J., Blum, I. D., & Abizaid, A. (2014). Ghrelin receptor-knockout mice display alterations in circadian rhythms of activity and feeding under constant lighting conditions. European Journal of Neuroscience, 39, 207-217. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.12390
Sotonyi, P, Mezei, G., Racz, B., Dallman, M. F., Abizaid, A., & Horvath, T. L. (2010). Gonadotropin-releasing hormone fibres contact POMC neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. Reproductive Sciences, 17(11), 1024-1028. https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719110378346
Patterson, Z. R., Ducharme, R., Anisman, H., & Abizaid, A. (2010). Altered metabolic and neurochemical responses to chronic unpredictable stressors in ghrelin receptor-deficient mice. European Journal of Neuroscience, 32, 632-639. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07310.x
- Faulkner, A., Hellemans, K., Abizaid, A. & D’Angiulli, A. (2013). The neurophysiology of craving and drug-related cues: Evidence from event-related potentials. In J. M. Honeycutt, C. R. Sawyer, & S. A. Keaton (Eds.) The influence of communication in physiology and health status (1st ed., pp. 189-206). Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
- Abizaid, A., Luheshi, G., & Woodside, B. C. (2013). Interaction between immune and energy balance signals in the regulation of feeding and metabolism. In Anisman, A., & Kusnicov, A. (Eds.) The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of psychoneuroimmunology (1st ed., pp. 488-503), Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118314814.ch22
- Abizaid, A. & Amir, S. (2010). Feeding and appetite. In I. P. stolerman (Ed) The Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology (1st ed., pp. 447-450). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68706-1_149
- Anisman, H., Merali, Z., Matheson, K. & Abizaid, A. (2010). Stress, trauma and substance use disorders. In Vaccarino, F. (Ed.) Substance Abuse in Canada (1st ed., pp. 12-19). Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
- Tannebaum, B., Anisman, H., Abizaid, A. (2009). Neuroendocrine stress response and its impact on eating behaviour and body weight. In Dube, L., Bechara, A., Dagher, A., Drewnowski, A., LeBel, J., James, P., Richard, D. & Yada, R.Y. (Eds.) Role of society and brain on individual behavior.
- Abizaid, A., and Horvath, T. L. (2009). Hierarchy of neural pathways controlling energy homeostasis. In Frübeck, G. (Ed.) Peptides in energy balance and obesity. CABI Publishing.
ABOUT THE ABIZAID LAB
Welcome to the Abizaid Lab. We are a group of researchers and students in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Our focus is primarily on the hormone ghrelin and its related systems.
The Abizaid Lab at Carleton University is located on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people. We are grateful for the opportunity to work and study here and we thank the many generations of people who cared for this land.
CONTACT US
For questions or collaborations, please contact:
Alfonso Abizaid, PhDalfonso_abizaid@carleton.ca
+1(613) 520-2600 ext. 1544
Carleton University
Department of Neuroscience
5308 Health Sciences Building
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6
Canada
