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Principal Investigator

Alexander Tups 186x228Associate Professor Alexander Tups

Associate Professor Alexander Tups' biography
Email alexander.tups@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 4862
Fax +64 3 479 7323
Department of Physiology website

Research interests

The focus of our research at the Centre for Neuroendocrinology is on the neuroendocrine regulation of metabolism. In particular we are interested in the central interaction of the adiposity hormones leptin and insulin, which appears crucial for the maintenance of energy and glucose homeostasis. We established that a loss of central leptin action during obesity leads to impaired insulin action, which might explain the striking correlation of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

We investigate neuroendocrine mechanisms that link obesity, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

We focus on manipulating these crucial pathways via nutritive, genetherapeutic and pharmacological approaches to potentially avoid the manifestation of nutrition related diseases.

Clinical conditions

  • Obesity
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Cancer

List of publications for Alexander Tups (Google Scholar)

Tups Laboratory staff & students

Aline Boer_webAline Boer, Research Fellow
Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide: an incretin at the interface of neuroendocrine regulation of metabolism and nutrition.
Email: aline.boer@otaog.ac.nz

Pramuk Keerthisinghe_webPramuk Keerthisinghe, Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: pramuk.keerthisinghe@otago.ac.nz

Georgia Jones, Honours student

Emma Lester, Masters student

Sapna Vyas, Honours student

Visit Our people for an alphabetical list of all Centre for Neuroendocrinology staff.

Research Funders

Publications

Rizwan, M. Z., Kerbus, R., Kamstra, K., Keerthisinghe, P., & Tups, A. (2023). Dietary wheat gluten induces astro- and microgliosis in the hypothalamus of male mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, e13326. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13326

Pretz, D., Heyward, P. M., Krebs, J., Gruchot, J., Barter, C., Silcock, P., Downes, N., Rizwan, M. Z., Boucsein, A., Bender, J., Burgess, E. J., Boer, G. A., Keerthisinghe, P., Perry, N. B., & Tups, A. (2023). A dahlia flower extract has anti-diabetic properties by improving insulin function in the brain. Life Metabolism, 2(4), load026. doi: 10.1093/lifemeta/load026

Kamstra, K., & Tups, A. (2023). Neuroendocrine interactions in the control of glucose- and energy homeostasis. In A. Kleinridders (Ed.), Physiological consequences of brain insulin action. (pp. 63-78). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003079927-5

Kamstra, K., & Tups, A. (2023). Neuroendocrine interactions in the control of glucose- and energy homeostatis. In A. Kleinridders (Ed.), Physiological consequences of brain insulin action. (pp. 63-78). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003079927

Boer, G. A., Hay, D. L., & Tups, A. (2022). Obesity pharmacotherapy: Incretin action in the central nervous system [Review]. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 44(1), 50-63. doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.11.001

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