Nicholas DiPatrizio, PhD

Dr. DiPatrizio received his B.A. in psychology at Temple University in 2001, Ph.D. in neuroscience at Drexel College of Medicine in 2008, and completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine in 2014. 

DiPatrizio’s laboratory is dedicated to elucidating the integrative neurobiology and physiology that controls food reward, sensory processing, and energy balance. A combination of state-of-the-art analytical (i.e., high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry), surgical, biochemical, molecular, genetic, pharmacological, and behavioral tools are employed to achieve these goals. Importantly, his research program investigates the molecular and neural underpinnings of obesity and hedonic eating, which are suggested to share many characteristics with addictive and compulsive behaviors. For example, a particular research emphasis in the DiPatrizio laboratory is on identifying physiological roles for the lipid messengers, the endocannabinoids, which are “thrifty lipids” that naturally drive the seeking, sensing, and consumption of calorie-dense foods, and the storage of their energy content for future use. This work will support the discovery and development of novel therapeutic strategies to safely treat obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and eating disorders.