The Zigman lab is affiliated with the Department of Internal Medicine (the Division of Hypothalamic Research and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism), the Integrative Biology Graduate Program and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.  We are located on the South Campus, on the 6th floor of the "Y" building.  Y6 is the home of the Division of Hypothalamic Research and currently also houses the labs of Dr. Joel Elmquist (the Division's director), Dr. Joyce Repa, Dr. Carol Elias and Dr. Roberto Coppari.

The lab members include the PI, two postdoctoral research fellows, a senior research scientist and a research assistant II.  Our funding comes from both private and NIH grants.  The lab benefits from several core facilities throughout the university as well as from close collaborations with other labs on campus, including those of Drs. Joel Elmquist, Eric Nestler, Michael Lutter, Carol Tamminga and Ed Livingston and with several other labs at other institutions.

Positions available: 

As mentioned on previous pages, we are currently investigating all things ghrelin.  We have multiple novel mouse models and are seeking motivated, hard-working, and imaginative researchers to work with them and with us.  Broad topics of interest include obesity, diabetes, substance abuse, smoking and depression.  Projects available include investigating the neuroanatomical basis of ghrelin action, the role of ghrelin in reward-seeking behavior, the physiology of the ghrelin cell and the roles of ghrelin in insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and pancreatic islet development, among others.  We are also interested in the neuroanatomical and endocrine involvement in the drastic changes occurring with gastric bypass surgery and other types of bariatric surgery.

Potential postdoctoral fellows, endocrine fellows, graduate students, M.D./Ph.D. students, and medical students interested in performing research in the Zigman lab should contact the PI.