陳曉慧
Hsiao-Huei Chen
- Professor, Department of Medicine (Neuroscience), University of Ottawa
- hchen@uottawa.ca
- 613-562-5800x8133
- 分子與細胞神經生物學
Lab Introduction & Major Research Interests
The brain controls how much we eat, when we feel fed, and how our body uses the calories consumed. Modern fat-rich diet undermines this brain function and contributes to over-eating and obesity. More than one third of Canadians are obese. Obesity causes diabetes, elevating the risk of stroke and atherosclerosis. Anxiety affects 12% of Canadian population and anxiety disorders are prevalent in people with obesity-associated type 2 diabetes. My laboratory is working to identify the common molecular links between metabolic disorders (diabetes and atherosclerosis), stroke and anxiety in order to develop common therapies to restore healthy brain function. In addition, patients with schizophrenia and autism often display metabolic syndrome. Signalling pathways affected in metabolic syndrome may be therapeutic targets to ameliorate these two disorders.
The techniques used in the laboratory include molecular biology, cell culture, optogenetics, in vitro (brain slice) and in vivo electrophysiological recording and pharmacological studies and animal behavioural tests. The animal models used include several cell-type specific transgenic or knockout mice, middle cerebral artery occlusion and photothrombosis for stroke studies, bone marrow transplantation for atherosclerosis.
Prof. Hsiao-Huei Chen網站
Recent Representative Publication ( * corresponding author)
1. Zhang L, Qin Z, Ricke KM, Cruz SA, Stewart AFR, Chen HH*. Hyperactivated PTP1B phosphatase in parvalbumin neurons alters anterior cingulate inhibitory circuits. Nature Communications (2020) Feb; 11 (1):1017 p1-15.
2. Ricke KM, Cruz SA, Qin Z, Farrokhi K, Sharmin F, Zhang L, Zasloff MA, Stewart AFR*, Chen HH*. Neuronal Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B hastens Amyloid β-associated Alzheimer’s disease in mice. Journal of Neuroscience. (2020) Feb; 40(7):1581-1593.
3. Qin Z, Zhang L, Cruz SA, Stewart AFR, Chen HH*. Activation of tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B in pyramidal neurons impairs endocannabinoid signaling by tyrosine receptor kinase trkB and causes schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice. Neuropsychopharmocology. (2020) Oct; 45(11):1884-1895.
4. Qin Z, Zhang L, Zasloff MA, Stewart AFR, Chen HH*. Ketamine’s schizophrenia-like effects are prevented by targeting PTP1B. Neurobiology of Disease. (2021) July; doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105397.
5. Zhang L, Qin Z, Sharmin F, W Lin, Ricke KM, Zasloff MA, Stewart AFR, Chen HH*. Tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B impairs presynaptic NMDA receptor-mediated plasticity in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiology of Disease. (2021) Aug; doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105402
6. Chen HH*, Keyhanian K, Zhou X, Vilmundarson R, Almontashiri NA, Cruz SA, Pandey NR, Yap NL, Ho T, Stewart CA, Huang H, Hari A, Geoffrion M, McPherson R, Rayner K, Stewart AFR. IRF2BP2 Reduces Macrophage Inflammation and Susceptibility to Atherosclerosis. Circulation Research, (2015) Sep 25;117(8):671-83.
7. Qin Z, Zhou X, Pandey NR, Vecchiarelli HA, Stewart CA, Zhang X, Lagace DC, Brunel JC, Béïque JC, Stewart AFR, Hill MN, Chen HH*. Chronic Stress Induces Anxiety via an Amygdalar Intracellular Cascade that Impairs Endocannabinoid Signaling. Neuron, (2015) March 18;85(6):1319-31.