Alicia E. Kao

This study shows that hippocampal dopamine signaling after meals enhances memory of meal locations and reduces food intake in rats.

This study shows that an AGE-rich diet during adolescence impairs memory via hippocampal synaptic deficits and microbiome changes, which can be mitigated by AGE inhibitors.

This study identifies a hippocampal-striatal circuit that regulates impulsive action in male rats, using chemogenetic and fiber photometry approaches.

This study shows that oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei have opposing effects on food intake, with PVH neurons reducing meal size and SON neurons increasing it.

This study shows that early-life food insecurity in rats leads to memory impairments in adulthood, despite normal metabolic and behavioral outcomes.

This study shows that vagus nerve-mediated acetylcholine release in the dorsal hippocampus supports memory function, and its disruption contributes to obesity-induced cognitive impairments.

The paper identifies ventral hippocampus neurons that encode meal-related memories and shows their role in spatial memory and feeding behavior.

This study shows that oxytocin signaling in the dorsal hippocampus promotes prosocial eating in rats by enhancing food consumption with familiar conspecifics and facilitating social transmission of food preference.

This study shows that a western diet during development impairs memory by disrupting hippocampal acetylcholine signaling, which can be partially reversed with pharmacological intervention.

This study shows that early-adolescent Western diet exposure impairs memory in male rats long-term, but not in females, while late-adolescent exposure only affects males temporarily.

This study identifies hypothalamic MCH neurons that integrate food-related appetitive and consummatory processes through physiological and behavioral responses.