Marc Lionel Reitman, M.D., Ph.D.

Senior Investigator

Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Obesity Branch

NIDDK

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Building NIHBC 10 - CRC, Room 5-5952
10 Center Dr
Bethesda, MD 20892

+1 301 496 6442

marc.reitman@nih.gov

Research Topics

Obesity has reached pandemic proportions and treatment has been rarely successful for the long term. The recent development of GLP1 mimetics is beginning to change this. We believe that by elucidating the underlying physiology, further novel and effective anti-obesity therapies will be discovered. Effective obesity treatment will also stem the epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Current Research

I am broadly interested in a mechanistic and translational understanding of diabetes, energy homeostasis, and obesity. My particular interests include studying mouse genetics and pharmacology, using mouse models to understand metabolic rate regulation, body temperature regulation and the role of BRS-3 (bombesin receptor subtype-3), and exploring drug treatments for obesity. One current project involves dissecting the neuroscience of how BRS-3 regulates metabolic rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. Another project explores how to improve the use of mice to evaluate candidate treatments for human obesity. A third interest is the role of brown adipose tissue and uncoupling in mouse and human thermal biology and body weight regulation.

Applying our Research

By studying the mechanisms involved in energy homeostasis, we should gain knowledge that will lead to advancements in the treatment of diabetes and obesity.

Biography

  • Senior Investigator and Branch Chief, NIDDK, NIH, 2011-present
  • Director, Clinical Research; Director Obesity and Metabolic Research, Merck Research Laboratories, 2002-2011
  • Fellow; Investigator; Senior Investigator, NIDDK, NIH, 1986-2002
  • Residency in Internal Medicine, Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, 1983-1986
  • M.D., Ph.D., Washington University, 1983
  • B.S., Massachusetts Institutes of Technology, 1977

Selected Publications

  1. Škop V, Guo J, Liu N, Xiao C, Hall KD, Gavrilova O, Reitman ML. The metabolic cost of physical activity in mice using a physiology-based model of energy expenditure. Mol Metab. 2023;71:101699.
  2. Piñol RA, Mogul AS, Hadley CK, Saha A, Li C, Škop V, Province HS, Xiao C, Gavrilova O, Krashes MJ, Reitman ML. Preoptic BRS3 neurons increase body temperature and heart rate via multiple pathways. Cell Metab. 2021;33(7):1389-1403.e6.
  3. Škop V, Guo J, Liu N, Xiao C, Hall KD, Gavrilova O, Reitman ML. Mouse Thermoregulation: Introducing the Concept of the Thermoneutral Point. Cell Rep. 2020;31(2):107501.
  4. Xiao C, Liu N, Jacobson KA, Gavrilova O, Reitman ML. Physiology and effects of nucleosides in mice lacking all four adenosine receptors. PLoS Biol. 2019;17(3):e3000161.
  5. Piñol RA, Zahler SH, Li C, Saha A, Tan BK, Škop V, Gavrilova O, Xiao C, Krashes MJ, Reitman ML. Brs3 neurons in the mouse dorsomedial hypothalamus regulate body temperature, energy expenditure, and heart rate, but not food intake. Nat Neurosci. 2018;21(11):1530-1540.

Related Scientific Focus Areas

This page was last updated on Wednesday, January 10, 2024