The Scientist magazine, October 2010.
Endocrinologist Kevin Niswender and neuroscientist Aurelio Galli hadn’t really kept in contact since they parted ways after beginning their respective careers at Vanderbilt University in the 1990s. But about 10 years ago, Niswender, who went to medical school at Vanderbilt, and Galli, who did a postdoc there, both landed faculty positions back at the Nashville, Tennessee, university. They rekindled their friendship and often discussed their research during convivial family dinners.
Niswender, who studies diabetes and metabolism, and Galli, who specializes in the neurobiology of addiction, had never collaborated scientifically. They can’t remember the exact moment they decided to do so, but gradually they realized that some of their research interests overlapped. The pair discussed a number of clinical hints that diabetes and mood disorders are related: Defects of the insulin pathway run in families with schizophrenia, diabetics are more likely to be depressed, and insulin signaling somehow affects dopamine levels in the brain. Read More >