Dr. Fordahl will highlight how proinflammatory cytokines alter dopamine terminal function, and how increasing dietary fat intake may enhance microglial activity. The Fordahl Lab’s primary research interests are to examine how the excessive intake of high fat or high sugar foods alter brain function, leading to dysregulated food intake. They are interested in how prolonged consumption of a palatable diet degrades the perception of natural rewards by altering dopamine signaling in response to food. Their lab pairs a pre-clinical rodent model of obesity with electrochemistry, immunochemistry, and other biological endpoints with behavioral markers of dopamine system function.

In this webinar, Dr. Fordahl will:

  • Demonstrate our lab’s use of the Compresstome in electrochemistry experiments.
  • Outline how a dietary saturated fat alters dopamine kinetics.
  • Identify the role of inflammation and inflammatory response cells in this process.