"I had a great opportunity to spend my research stay in the lab of Prof. Luc Pellerin in University of Lausanne (UNIL) during the months of May-July 2019.
The aim of my stay was to address the role of the lactate transporter MCT4 of hypothalamic astrocytes in energy metabolism, weight change and anxiety. For this, I had to perform experiments on mice (MCT4-Flox) with a knockout of the MCT4 on hypothalamic astrocytes via specific stereotactic injections of an Adeno-associated virus to the arcuate nucleus. Mice were fed a normal chow diet for 2 weeks, during which their metabolism and behavior is analyzed. This involved the use of metabolic cages and different behavioral tests like the elevated plus maze and open field tests. The same tests will then be repeated after a high caloric diet.
On a personal note, life in Lausanne is quite enjoyable especially in the summer. A beautiful city with an amazing lake to spend time in good weather and really nice people. It is a very positive experience overall."
Sherif's Research Stay at University of Lausanne
