Alfonso abizaid biography

• BSc (Hons), Neuroscience and Mental Health, Carleton University (2022)
• Contact: zacharysilver@cmail.carleton.ca OR zacharysilver6@gmail.com

Research Interest/Focus

My research focuses on the interaction between ghrelin and a specialized glial cell type called tanycytes. In the hypothalamus, tanycytes can be found at the ventral aspect of the third ventricle right next to the median eminence.

Alfonso Abizaid - Hamden, CT - Reputation & Contact Details

Here, they regulate the access of bloodborne substances to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the formation of the blood-CSF barrier, and also regulate the activity of nearby hypothalamic circuits through direct interaction with neighbouring neurons. Through these means, tanycytes have been implicated in the control of energy balance.

My research is specifically examining the role of tanycytes in the transportation of ghrelin to its hypothalamic targets, and how they may mediate the orexigenic effect of ghrelin.

Publications

Martins, M. G., Silver, Z., Ayoub, K., Hyland, L., Woodside, Alfonso Abizaid - The Conversation BOGE