Zoology and Physiology
Brandon Roberts
Assistant Professor,
Department of Zoology & Physiology,
Department of Animal Science
Office: Biological Sciences 322
Email: brandon.roberts@uwyo.edu
Research
Our labs overarching research interest is understanding the neural mechanisms underlying
childhood obesity and laying the foundation for therapeutic interventions. Our approach
is separated into four primary categories: (1) neurophysiology (2) endocrine signaling
(3) developmental programming and (4) biological rhythms. Our short-term goal is to
better understand how early life overnutrition disrupts daily rhythms of neural circuits
implicated in metabolic and cognitive function. Our long-term goal is to leverage
these findings to design targeted behavioral interventions (e.g., time-restricted
feeding) to periods of the day when circulating levels and brain responses to satiety
signals are the highest.
Education
2015: Ph.D. Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
2009: B.Sci Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Professional experience
2023 – Present: Assistant Professor, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
2020-2023: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2015-2020: Postdoctoral Fellow, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR
Selected Publications
- Brandon L. Roberts, Jeixin Wang, and Ilia N. Karatsoreos. Circadian desynchronization attenuates information throughput independent of daily
rhythms in prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons. Scientific Reports, 2023. DOI: 1038/s41598-023-35898-8
- Brandon L. Roberts, Eric Kim, Katherine Tennant, Sarah Lindsley, and Paul Kievit. Fibroblast growth factor -1 activates neurons in the arcuate nucleus and dorsal vagal
complex. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2021. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.772909
- Brandon L. Roberts, Baylin J. Bennett, Camdin M. Bennett, Julie M. Carroll, Louise S. Dalbøge, Colin
Hall, Wafa Hassouneh, Kristy M. Heppner, Melissa A. Kirigiti, Sarah R. Lindsley, Katherine
G. Tennant, Cadence A. True, Andrew Whittle, Anitra C. Wolf, Charles T. Roberts, Jr.,
Mads Tang-Christensen, Mark W. Sleeman, Michael A. Cowley, Kevin L. Grove, Paul Kievit.
Reelin is modulated by diet-induced obesity and has direct actions on arcuate proopiomelanocortin
neurons. Molecular Metabolism, 2019. S2212-8778 (19)30147-4.
- Brandon L. Roberts, Camdin M. Bennett, Julie M. Carroll, Sarah R. Lindsley, and Paul Kievit. Early overnutrition alters synaptic signaling and induces leptin resistance in arcuate proopiomelanocortin neurons.
Physiology & Behavior, 2019. 206: 166-174.
- Brandon L. Roberts, Mingyan Zhu, Huan Zhao, Crystal Dillon, and Suzanne M. Appleyard. High glucose increases action potential firing of catecholamine neurons in the nucleus
of the solitary tract by increasing spontaneous glutamate inputs. American Journal of Physiology, 2017. 313(3):R229-R239.