Caroline WEE

Nutrient-Metabolic Interactions in Brain and Behaviour
PhD- Neurobiology, Harvard University, USA 
 

SUMMARY
Caroline Wee is a Principal Scientist at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS). 

Caroline completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences (Neurobiology and Behavior) and Psychology from Cornell University and her PhD in Neurobiology from Harvard University (2016) under Professor Florian Engert.  After a brief post-doctoral stint in her PhD lab, she returned to Singapore in 2018 to conduct independent research on zebrafish appetite control and was promoted to group leader in 2021, where she now leads an interdisciplinary team focusing on how environmental and physiological factors regulate brain and behaviour using both preclinical models and clinical cohorts.

AWARDS & GRANTS
  • 2021 National Research Foundation (NRF) Fellowship
  • 2022 Singapore Therapeutics Development Review (STDR) Pre-Pilot
  • 2022 National Institute of Health (NIH) Brain Initiative
  • 2020 National Medical Research Council Open Fund-Young Individual Research Grant (NMRC-OF-YIRG)
  • 2006 A*STAR National Science Scholarship (NSS BS-PhD)

RESEARCH

Brain-Body Interactions
We study how brain-organ interactions, mediated by neural circuits and neurohormonal signalling, regulate brain and behavioural states, and how they are dysregulated in diseases (such as metabolic syndrome, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neurodegeneration). We leverage the transparency and anatomical conservation of the zebrafish model for comprehensive and high-throughput studies, while validating our findings in other preclinical models.

Diet-Microbiome Interactions
We are especially interested in how the food we eat interacts with our gut microbiota to modulate brain and behavioural states. We aim to understand gut-brain signaling pathways mediated by microbial metabolites, inflammatory cytokines, or other hormonal or neural-circuit mechanisms towards the goal of optimising metabolic and brain health. As such, we adopt a multi-model approach spanning preclinical models and human cohort studies. Beyond human health, we also apply a similar approach in aquaculture health and nutrition research.

PUBLICATIONS   
  • Dynamics of endogenous and water cortisol release in Asian Sea bass Lates calcarifer after acute stress in a farm scale recirculating aquaculture system
    Tan, M. R., Aung, K. M. M., Mohamed Salleh, N. A. B., Tan, J. Y. A., Chua, K. X., Doblado, G. J., Chua, K. L., Tham, V. Y. Y., Lin, J. J., Chaganty, V., Yusoff, D. M., Vij, S., Su, X., Sutarlie, L., & Wee, C. L. (2024) 
    Aquaculture Reports, 37, 102223
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2024.102223

  • Osmotic stress uncovers correlations and dissociations between larval zebrafish anxiety endophenotypes
    Cheng, R.-K., Tan, J. X. M., Chua, K. X., Tan, C. J. X., & Wee, C. L. (2022)
    Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 15, 900223
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2022.900223

  • Larval zebrafish as a model for mechanistic discovery in mental health
    Tan, J. X. M., Ang, R. J. W., & Wee, C. L. (2022)
    Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 15, 900213
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2022.900213

  • Social isolation modulates appetite and avoidance behavior via a common oxytocinergic circuit in larval zebrafish
    Wee, C. L., Song, E., Nikitchenko, M., Herrera, K. J., Wong, S., Engert, F., & Kunes, S. (2022).
    Nature Communications, 13(1), 2573
    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29765-9

  • Zebrafish oxytocin neurons drive nocifensive behavior via brainstem premotor targets
    Wee, C. L., Nikitchenko, M., Wang, W.-C., Luks-Morgan, S. J., Song, E., Gagnon, J. A., Randlett, O., Bianco, I. H., Lacoste, A. M. B., Glushenkova, E., Barrios, J. P., Schier, A. F., Kunes, S., Engert, F., & Douglass, A. D. (2019).
    Nature Neuroscience, 22(9), 1477–1492 
    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0452-x

  • A bidirectional network for appetite control in larval zebrafish
    Wee, C. L., Song, E. Y., Johnson, R. E., Ailani, D., Randlett, O., Kim, J.-Y., Nikitchenko, M., Bahl, A., Yang, C.-T., Ahrens, M. B., Kawakami, K., Engert, F., & Kunes, S. (2019).
    ELife
    https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.43775

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