Leptin & Glycemic Control Centers Dr. Martin Myer M.D. Ph.D

leptin

(Bunny) #1

Brehm Center Researchers

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Martin Myers Jr., M.D., Ph.D.

**Marilyn H. Vincent Professor of Diabetes Research Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Director, Michigan Diabetes Research & Training Center

Myers Lab

After earning his A.B. summa cum laude from Princeton University, Dr. Martin Myers, Jr. began studying diabetes as an M.D./ Ph.D student at Harvard Medical School, researching how insulin works at a molecular level in a laboratory at the Joslin Diabetes Center. After completing his doctoral degrees, he returned to the Joslin Diabetes Center as a faculty member. In 2004, Dr. Myers moved to the University of Michigan as a Michigan Biomedical Sciences Scholar and joined the faculty of Internal Medicine and Molecular and Integrative Physiology in 2006.

Dr. Myers’ research focuses on the processes that enable the body to respond normally to insulin, and how problems in these pathways contribute to the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. His laboratory specifically concentrates on the crucial role played by nerve centers in the unconscious part of the brain — what Myers calls “glycemic control centers” — that regulate the body’s ability to respond to insulin.

The Myers lab focuses on the actions of the key metabolic hormone, leptin. While best known for regulating body weight, leptin plays a crucial role in the regulation of insulin action and blood sugar via the glycemic control centers of the brain. Furthermore, much of the control of blood sugar by leptin is independent of the body weight control.

Aside from his research, Dr. Myers has received numerous awards. In June 2010, he received the American Diabetes Association’s prestigious Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award. …More

Recent publications:

•Feener E, Rosario F, Dunn SL, Stancheva Z and Myers MG Jr. Inhibition of Jak2 signaling by tyrosine phosphorylation in the JH2 domain. Mol Cell Biol (2004) 24(11): 4968-78.

•Bates SH, Dundon TA, Seifert M, Maratos-Flier E and Myers MG Jr. LRb STAT3 signaling is required for the neuroendocrine regulation of energy expenditure. Diabetes (2004) 53(12): 3067-3073 (tel:3067-3073).

•Dunn SL, Bjornholm, M, Bates, SH, Seifert M, Chen Z, and Myers MG Jr. Feedback inhibition of leptin receptor/Jak2 signaling by Tyr1138 of the Leptin receptor and Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3. Mol Endo (2005) 19: 925-938.

•Bates SH, Kulkarni RN, Seifert M, and Myers MG Jr. Roles for leptin receptor/STAT3-dependent and -independent signaling in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Cell Metabolism (2005) 1: 169-178.

•Gelling RW, Morton GJ, Morrison CD, Niswender KD, Myers MG Jr, Rhodes CJ, and Schwartz MW. Insulin action in the brain contributes to glucose lowering during insulin treatment of diabetes. Cell Metabolism (2006) 3: 67-73.

•Ishida-Takahashi R, Rosario F, Gong Y, Kopp K, Stancheva Z, Chen X, Feener EP, and Myers MG Jr. Phosphorylation of Jak2 on Ser523 Inhibits Jak2-dependent Leptin Receptor Signaling. Mol Cell Biol (2006) 26: 4063-73.

•Buettner C, Pocai A, Muse E, Etgen A, Myers MG Jr, and Rossetti L. Critical Role of STAT3 in Leptin’s Metabolic Actions. Cell Metabolism (2006) 4:49-60.

•Munzberg H, Jobst EE, Bates SH, Jones JC, Villanueva E, Leshan R, Bjornholm M, Elmquist J, Sleeman M, Cowley MA, and Myers MG Jr. Appropriate Inhibition of orexigenic hypothalamic arcuate nucleus neurons independently of leptin receptor/STAT3 signaling. J. Neurosci. (2007) 27: 69-74.

•Bjornholm M, Munzberg H, Leshan R, Villanueva E, Bates SH, Louis GW, Jones JC, Ishida-Takahashi R, Bjorbaek C, and Myers MG Jr. Mice lacking inhibitory leptin receptor signals are lean with normal endocrine function. J. Clin. Invest. (2007) 117:1354-1360.

•Soliman GA, Ishida-Takahashi R, Gong Y, Jones JC, Leshan RL, Saunders TL, Fingar DC, and Myers MG Jr. A simple qPCR-based method to detect correct insertion of homologous targeting vectors in murine ES cells. Transgenic Research (2007) In Press.

•Li Z, Zhou Y, Carter-Su C, Myers MG Jr, and Rui L. SH2B1 enhances leptin signaling by both Jak2 Y813 phosphorylation-dependent and –independent mechanisms. Mol. Endo (2007), In Press.