Dr. Dezfuli’s research focuses on how nicotine and selective nicotinic like drugs cause weight loss. Of particular interest is understanding the critical role of nicotinic receptor desensitization in body weight regulation. Animal models of obesity, selective nicotinic-like drugs (agonists and antagonists), in vivo drug administration protocols, metabolic phenotyping, as well as more recently radioligand binding assays are used. The aim of this research is to apply the understanding of how nicotine is able to lower body weight and suppress food intake toward development of nicotine-based therapeutics for weight loss.
Academic Appointment(s)
- Primary
- Associate Professor, Pharmacology & Physiology
- Secondary
- Deputy Director, MS Pharmacology