University of California-San Francisco · PhysiologyCenter for Neural Circuitry in Feeding Behavior
Zachary A. Knight · San Francisco, California
Research Focus
Dr. Zachary A. Knight's lab at UCSF studies how the brain controls feeding behavior, focusing on the neural circuits that regulate when we stop eating and how we learn to prefer calorie-rich foods. They investigate the dynamics of specific brain regions, particularly the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract and the amygdala, to understand how internal signals influence our eating habits and preferences. Their research aims to uncover mechanisms that could inform strategies to combat obesity.
neural circuitsfeeding behaviorsatietydopamineobesitymeal dynamicsfood preferenceslearningcaloric intakebrain function
Research Aims
3AIM 01Dissect the signals that regulate satiety circuits in vivo.
AIM 02Investigate how dopamine drives learning about food in the anterior BLA.
AIM 03Map the circuits that allow nutrients to trigger dopamine release in the brain.
Skills the Lab Values
in vivo recordingoptogeneticsmouse modelsbehavioral assayscircuit mappingneuroanatomydata analysiselectrophysiologyphysiological measurement
Output against the department
Publications146bottom 48% of dept.149th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations15ktop 21% of dept.59th of 286
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.