Catherine Kotz, PhD
Principal Investigator
Dr. Cathy Kotz is a Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and is also the Associate Director for Research at the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. Cathy received a PhD in nutrition at the University of Minnesota in 1993, and maintains a laboratory there and at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Her work centers on the central regulation of eating behavior and energy expenditure throughout the aging process, as well as understanding the link between nutrition, energy balance and cognition. The Kotz lab has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs, resulting in more than 130 scientific journal articles, reviews and book chapters. Cathy has directed an NIH funded training program in Obesity Prevention and Treatment for the last 15 years and served as the President of The Obesity Society in 2021. When Cathy is not working on obesity research, she is spending her time with family and making sure that her hummingbirds up north are well fed.
Laurie Shekels, PhD
Research Scientist
Dr. Laurie Shekels is a research scientist in Catherine Kotz’s lab at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. She did her undergraduate studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN and completed her PhD studies at the University of Minnesota in biochemistry. When she’s not in the lab, she enjoys playing board games, doing jigsaw puzzles, boating with her husband and spending time with her cats and dogs.
Vijay Mavanji, PhD
Co-Investigator
Dr. Vijay Mavanji is a co-investigator in the lab. Dr. Mavanji received his Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, India. His current research involves the lateral hypothalamus mechanisms involved in the modulation of spontaneous physical activity, with a special emphasis on orexins. He is also involved in projects aiming to understand the role of orexin in aging, cognitive behavior, obesity, and sleep/wake regulation. His recent focus is to determine whether small molecule orexin agonists can be used to treat diseases associated with orexin deficiency and to test whether senolytics can be used to treat infection-related complications in vulnerable conditions such as obesity, old age, and neurodegeneration. Outside of work, he spends his time with family and friends, and his German Shepherd, Sweetie.
Carolina Sandoval, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Carolina Sandoval is a postdoctoral associate in Catherine Kotz’s lab at the University of Minnesota. She works under an NIH grant to study the effects of a synthetic agonist of orexin receptors (RTIOXA-47) on energy balance using rodent models. She recently obtained her PhD and MS in biological science from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago de Chile and moved to Minneapolis, United States. During her PhD journey under her mentor, Claudio Pérez Leighton, she studied the role of Orexin-A and dynorphin peptides in motivation for sucrose using an operant lickometer in mice models. Outside the lab, she enjoys cooking and biking in the beautiful state of the 10,000 lakes.
Zander Roemer
Research Assistant
Zander Roemer is a post-bacc researcher who aspires to attend medical school. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a double major in BSE (Biology, Society, and Environment) and Human Physiology. He is working with Dr. Carolina Sandoval Caballero to investigate the role of Orexin neuron agonists and their effects on metabolism for possible application in weight loss medicine. Outside of the lab he enjoys traveling, binge-watching Netflix, and runs with his Corgi.
Morgan Ward
Research Lab Technician
Morgan Ward is a post-baccalaureate research lab technician at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. He graduated from St. Olaf College with a degree in general biology and studio art. He is currently working with Dr. Laurie Shekels and Dr. Vijay Mavanji looking at the effects of a novel orexin agonist on obesity and using the senolytic fisetin to target senescent cells. When not working, Morgan enjoys painting, spending time with cats, playing video games, and wading in creeks.