Our laboratory focuses on the understanding of peptide hormone endocrine systems in the brain, and their involvement in feeding behavior, exercise, diabetes, and obesity. We utilize multidisciplinary approaches including chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, physiology, and neuroscience to study endocrine systems. The techniques we use to answer different research questions include combinatorial chemistry, peptide design and synthesis, receptor pharmacology and compound analysis, computer assisted molecular modeling (CAMM), NMR spectroscopy, receptor mutagenesis and pharmacology, use of knock-out mice, real-time PCR (qRT-PCR, mRNA expression in the brain), and administration of compounds into mice.