Buettner Lab

We study the role brain in metabolic regulation and diabetes and how metabolic controls affect the brain.

Research Overview
Recent Publications

Research Interests

Our lab studies mechanisms of central control of peripheral metabolism and how this is altered in metabolic disease. We employ integrated physiology approaches to deconstruct the role of the brain in orchestrating organ crosstalk such as nutrient flux between adipose tissue and the liver and its relevance in regulating insulin action.

We aim to elucidate the role of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), adipose tissue lipolysis, lipotoxicity, glucose counter-regulation, and neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of diabetes and obesity.

Ongoing Projects
Clinical Studies
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Selected Publications

  • Brain insulin signalling in metabolic homeostasis and disease

    Scherer T et al. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2021 Aug;17(8):468-483. doi: 10.1038/s41574-021-00498-x. PubMed »

  • Alternatively activated macrophages do not synthesize catecholamines or contribute to adipose tissue adaptive thermogenesis

    Fischer K et al. Nature Medicine. 2017 May;23(5):623-630. doi: 10.1038/nm.4316. Epub 2017 Apr 17. PMID: 28414329. PubMed »

  • Brain insulin controls adipose tissue lipolysis and lipogenesis

    Scherer T et al. 2011 Feb 2;13(2):183-94. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2011.01.008. PubMed »

  • Fat cells gobbling up norepinephrine?

    Ryu V, Buettner C. PLoS Biology. 2019 Feb 7;17(2):e3000138. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000138. eCollection 2019 Feb. PMID: 30730909. PubMed »

All Publications

Join our Group

If you are passionate about scientific inquiry, creative and self-driven, we want you to be part of our group. We are looking for talents at all levels with backgrounds and interests in all areas of life sciences including but not limited to molecular and cellular biology, biological imaging, integrative physiology, and neuroscience.

Open Positions