Andrew Shin, Ph.D.

Research Focus

Dr. Shin is interested in understanding how the brain controls metabolism and nutrient partitioning as well as the long-term regulation of body weight and appetite and the underlying mechanisms of bariatric surgery. Dr. Shin's research project that was funded by the NIH aims to understand the role of insulin action in the brain in regulating branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism and how this central control can contribute to glucose homeostasis by using molecular, pharmacological, transgenic, surgical, and integrative physiological approaches.

His other ongoing research projects include:
1. Association between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease
2. Insights on how nicotine (a major constituent in cigarette) affects blood glucose
3. BCAA regulation in heart function

Research Interests

Obesity, diabetes, nutrient metabolism, Alzheimer's disease, heart failure, cancers, gut hormones, appetite-related signals, bariatric surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB)

Selected Publications

Patkar PP, Hao Z, Mumphrey MB, Townsend BL, Berthoud HR, Shin AC. Unlike calorie restriction, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery does not increase hypothalamic AgRP and NPY in mice on a high-fat diet. International Journal of Obesity – Nature, 2019 Feb (2018 Dec Epub ahead of print) 

Shin AC, MohanKumar SMJ, Balasubramanian P, Sirivelu MP, Linning K, Woolcock A, James M, MohanKumar PS. Responsiveness of HPA axis to leptin is impaired in diet-induced obese rats. Nutrition & Diabetes - Nature, 2019 Mar; 9(1) (2018 Dec Epub ahead of print)

Liu P, Ji Y, Yuen T, Redina-Reudy E, DeMambro V, Lu P, Dhawan S, Abu-Amer W, Shnayder V, Zhou B, Shin AC, Robinson S, Yu Y, Zhou Y, Zhu L, Reagan M, New M, Epstein S, Guo E, Iqbal J, Molina H, Thangeswaran P, Haider S, Davies T, Buettner C, Bian Z, Sun L, Rosen C, Brown A, Zhang X, Yang F, Oberlin DJ, Latif R, Kumar T, Klinken JV, Gupta A, Li J, Izadmehr S, Zaidi M. Blocking FSH induces thermogenic adipose tissue and reduces body fat. Nature, 2017 Jun; 546(7656): 107-112

Shin AC, Filatova N, Lindtner C, Chi T, Degann S, Oberlin DJ, Buettner C. Insulin receptor signaling in POMC, but not AgRP, neurons controls adipose tissue insulin action. Diabetes, 2017 Jun; 66(6): 1560-1571

Fischer K, Ruiz HH, Jhun K, Finan B, Oberlin DJ, van der Heide V, Kalinovich AV, Petrovic N, Wolf Y, Clemmensen C, Shin AC, Divanovic S, Brombacher F, Glasmacher E, Keipert S, Jastroch M, Nagler J, Schramm K, Medrikova D, Collden G, Woods SC, Herzig S, Homann D, Jung S, Nedergaard J, Cannon B, Tschöp MH, Müller TD, Buettner C. Alternatively activated macrophages do not synthesize catecholamines or contribute to adipose tissue adaptive thermogenesis. Nature Medicine, 2017 May; 23(5): 623-630

Ruiz HH, Chi T, Shin AC, Lindtner C, Hsieh W, Ehrlich M, Gandy S, Buettner C. Increased susceptibility to metabolic dysregulation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's Disease is associated with impaired hypothalamic insulin signaling and elevated BCAA levels. Alzheimer's and Dementia, 2016 Aug; 12(8): 851-61

Shin AC, Fasshauer M, Filatova N, Grundell LA, Zielinski E, Zhou J, Scherer T, Lindtner C, White PJ, Lapworth AL, Ilkayeva O, Knippschild U, Wolf AM, Scheja L, Grove KL, Smith RD, Qian WJ, Lynch CJ, Newgard CB, Buettner C. Brain insulin lowers circulating BCAA levels by inducing hepatic BCAA catabolism. Cell Metabolism, 2014 Nov; 20(5): 898-909

Shin AC, Berthoud HR. Obesity surgery: happy with less or eternally hungry? Trends Endocrinol Metab, 2013 Feb; 24(2): 101-8

Shin AC, Zheng H, Berthoud HR. Longitudinal assessment of food intake, fecal energy loss and energy expenditure after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in high-fat fed obese rats. Obesity Surgery, 2013 April; 23(4): 531-40