Dr Pablo B Martinez de Morentin

Profile

I obtained my bachelor degree in Biology, specialized in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in 2008. During the last 2 years of my degree, I took one year placement at the Department of Virology. After my degree I moved to the Department of Physiology to pursue a Master’s Degree in 2010 and PhD in 2013 both in Endocrinology under the supervision of Prof Lopez and Prof Diéguez. My PhD work investigated how the brain regulates whole body energy homeostasis, with a particular emphasis on hormones (estrogen, thyroid hormone) and exogenous compounds (nicotine) modulating the cellular energy sensor AMPK in the brain; and their link to the brown adipose tissue thermogenic processes and body weight maintenance.

After my PhD, I was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship from Xunta de Galicia, Spanish Government to join Prof Heisler’s team in Aberdeen in May 2014. In 2016, was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie-Individual Fellowship under the HORIZON2020, the EU Research and Innovation programme.

During that period my interest moved to understanding the neuronal types and circuits regulating energy balance. We described hypothalamic and brainstem the circuits by what specific neurotransmitters modulate glucose metabolism and feeding behaviour. This led my interest to study the neuronal networks integrating environmental and endogenous food-related cues to drive our interaction with each meal.

In 2023, I joined the Neuroscience team at the University of Leeds to pursue this research line as a group leader. Our research interest is to understand how neurons sense nutrient intake along the gastrointestinal tract and how this information converges with how we perceive food in our environment to drive our decision towards the next meal event.

Research interests

Our research interest is to understand how neurons sense nutrient intake along the gastrointestinal tract and how this information converges with how we perceive food in our environment to drive our decision towards the next meal event.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

• BSc Biology, 2008. Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• MSc Endocrinology, 2010. Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• PhD Endocrinology, 2013. Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Professional memberships

• Society of Endocrinology. Full member. Grant Panel Member. (2023-)
• British Society of Neuroendocrinology. Full member. (2016-)

Student education

Gut brain axis and metabolism. Systems Neurophysiology

Appetite stimulants and suppressants. Neuropharmacology

Research groups and institutes

• Neuroscience
• Neural Circuits

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>