Alfonso Abizaid, Carleton University

Research

Hypothalamus Obesity Adiposity Body Weight Dopamine Food Intake Metabolism Social Motivation

Latest papers

Food and the brain: Neural and endocrine control of feeding, metabolism, and reproduction.
Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2026 · senior author
HAPTI-Child: a finger-tracking video and keypoint dataset of haptic picture exploration and identification in congenitally blind and visually impaired children.
Frontiers in psychology · 2026
Adolescent social isolation and food restriction impairs feeding in female mice.
Neuroscience · 2026

All 62 publications

Latest funding

Implantable wireless telemetry system
NSERC · 2024 · Co-investigator
$150,000
Stress and its sidekicks: Understanding the immunological and epigenetic underpinnings of depressive symptoms
CIHR · 2023 · Supervisor
$105,000
Using a "substance use health" lens to transform research, policy and practice for people living in Canada.
CIHR · 2022 · Co-investigator
$10,000

All 17 grants and awards

62 publications.

01

Food and the brain: Neural and endocrine control of feeding, metabolism, and reproduction.

da Silva Mansano N, Lieu CV, Abizaid A

Journal of neuroendocrinology2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1111/jne.70104 PMID: 41151834

02

HAPTI-Child: a finger-tracking video and keypoint dataset of haptic picture exploration and identification in congenitally blind and visually impaired children.

Wymark D, Roy R, Myers M, Jankech O, Byczynski G, Abizaid A, Dresp-Langley B, D'Angiulli A

Frontiers in psychology2026

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1759540 PMID: 42111546

03

Adolescent social isolation and food restriction impairs feeding in female mice.

Broniszeski A, Telfer A, Fortin T, Sun H, Abizaid A, Hayley S

Neuroscience2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2026.05.033 PMID: 42217610

04

Bridging the gap: Ghrelin and the female stress response to acute non-discriminatory social defeat.

MacAulay B, Smith A, Abizaid A

Neuroscience2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.07.018 PMID: 40681037

05

Maternal Nutritional Environment and the Development of the Melanocortin System.

Martins MG, Abizaid A

Comprehensive physiology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/cph4.70020 PMID: 40474775

06

Ghrelin Recruits the Endocannabinoid System to Modulate Food Reward.

Edwards A, DeSante S, Spencer CD, Hyland L, Smith A, Sankhe AS, Szilvásy-Szabó A, Fekete C, Hill MN, Chee MJ, Abizaid A

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1620-24.2024 PMID: 39779372

07

Machine Learning-Based Suicide Risk Prediction Model for Suicidal Trajectory on Social Media Following Suicidal Mentions: Independent Algorithm Validation.

Kaminsky Z, McQuaid RJ, Hellemans KG, Patterson ZR, Saad M, Gabrys RL, Kendzerska T, Abizaid A, Robillard R

Journal of medical Internet research2024

DOI: 10.2196/49927 PMID: 39637380

08

Chronic Social Defeat Stress Increases Brain Permeability to Ghrelin in Male Mice.

Smith A, MacAulay B, Scheufen J, Hudak A, Abizaid A

eNeuro2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0093-24.2024 PMID: 38937108

09

Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor (GHSR) Signaling in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) Mediates Feeding Produced by Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Male Mice.

Smith A, Rodrigues T, Wallace C, Mezher K, MacAulay B, Prowse R, Hyland L, Abizaid A

Neuroscience2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.03.022 PMID: 38583506

10

Metabolic, neuroendocrine and behavioral effects of social defeat in male and female mice using the chronic non-discriminatory social defeat stress model.

Smith A, Hyland L, Al-Ansari H, Watts B, Silver Z, Wang L, Dahir M, Akgun A, Telfer A, Abizaid A

Hormones and behavior2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105412 PMID: 37633226

Implantable wireless telemetry system

Co-investigatorNSERC2024Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Chee, Melissa

Keywords: brain; EEG; glucose; inflammation; metabolism; pain; physiology; sleep; spinal cord; stress

$150,000

Stress and its sidekicks: Understanding the immunological and epigenetic underpinnings of depressive symptoms

SupervisorCIHR2023Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Sherratt, Frances E

Keywords: Cytokines; Depression; Epigenetics; Individualized Medicine; Inflammation; Mental Health; Monocytes; Sex And Gender Differences; Stress Immunology; Symptom Clusters

$105,000

Using a "substance use health" lens to transform research, policy and practice for people living in Canada.

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Hellemans, Kim G

Keywords: Addiction; Harm Reduction; Health; Policy; Resilience; Stigma; Stress; Substance Use Disorders; Trauma

$10,000

Ghrelin at the intersection of stress and metabolism

Nominated PICIHR2021Project Grant

Principal investigators: Abizaid, Alfonso

Keywords: Adiposity; Body Weight; Dopamine; Food Intake; Hypothalamus; Metabolism; Obesity; Social Motivation; Stress; Ventral Tegmental Area

$726,750

Ottawa Brain Bee - The Ultimate Trivia

Principal investigatorNSERC2017PromoScience

Principal investigators: Abizaid, Alfonso

$3,670

Ghrelin modulation of reward mechanisms

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Abizaid, Alfonso

$224,000

International Congress of Neuroendocrinology 2018

Co-investigatorCIHR2017Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Belsham, Denise D

Keywords: Behaviour; Circadian Rhythm; Metabolism; Neuroendocrinology; Obesity; Reproduction; Stress

$20,000

Stress and Obesity: the Ghrelin connection

Nominated PICIHR2015Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Abizaid, Alfonso

Keywords: Dorsomedial Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus; Ghrelin; Ghrelin Receptors; Hypothalamus; Nucleus Of The Solitary Tract; Obesity; Parabrachial Nucleus; Social Stress; Ventral Tegmentum

$613,780

Workstation for high throughput genetic and phenotypic assays

Co-investigatorNSERC2014Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Wong, Alex

$108,868

Chronic inflammation and stress interact to increase vulnerability to depression in obesity

Co-investigatorCIHR2012Team Grant: Health Challenges in Chronic Inflammation Initiative (LOI)

Principal investigators: Luheshi, Giamal N

Keywords: Cytokines; Depression; Ghrelin; Inflammation; Leptin; Obesity; Serotonin

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Neurosciences
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Systems and Computer Engineering
Neurosciences and Mental Health
Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Psychiatry
Nutrition Sciences
Other

Co-authors at Carleton University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Ashok Kumar

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

2 shared papers, latest 2021

Edana Cassol

Systems and Computer Engineering

2 shared papers, latest 2021

Shawn Hayley

Cellular and Molecular Medicine

2 shared papers, latest 2026

Shawn Hayley

Neurosciences and Mental Health

2 shared papers, latest 2026

Tetyana Kendzerska

Department of Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Argel Aguilar Valles

Neurosciences

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Marie-Claude Audet

Nutrition Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2018

Taylor Hatchard

Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences

1 shared papers, latest 2014

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2021

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Hypothalamus Dear Professor Abizaid, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Food and the brain: Neural and endocrine control of feeding, metabolism, and reproduction." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Ghrelin at the intersection of stress and metabolism" (2021), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Alfonso Abizaid

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Food and the brain: Neural and endocrine control of feeding, metabolism, and reproduction.

HAPTI-Child: a finger-tracking video and keypoint dataset of haptic picture exploration and identification in congenitally blind and visually impaired children.

Adolescent social isolation and food restriction impairs feeding in female mice.

Bridging the gap: Ghrelin and the female stress response to acute non-discriminatory social defeat.

Maternal Nutritional Environment and the Development of the Melanocortin System.

Ghrelin Recruits the Endocannabinoid System to Modulate Food Reward.

Machine Learning-Based Suicide Risk Prediction Model for Suicidal Trajectory on Social Media Following Suicidal Mentions: Independent Algorithm Validation.

Chronic Social Defeat Stress Increases Brain Permeability to Ghrelin in Male Mice.

Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor (GHSR) Signaling in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) Mediates Feeding Produced by Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Male Mice.

Metabolic, neuroendocrine and behavioral effects of social defeat in male and female mice using the chronic non-discriminatory social defeat stress model.

Implantable wireless telemetry system

Stress and its sidekicks: Understanding the immunological and epigenetic underpinnings of depressive symptoms

Using a "substance use health" lens to transform research, policy and practice for people living in Canada.

Ghrelin at the intersection of stress and metabolism

Ottawa Brain Bee - The Ultimate Trivia

Ghrelin modulation of reward mechanisms

International Congress of Neuroendocrinology 2018

Stress and Obesity: the Ghrelin connection

Workstation for high throughput genetic and phenotypic assays

Chronic inflammation and stress interact to increase vulnerability to depression in obesity

Frequent collaborators

Kimberly Matheson

Ashok Kumar

Edana Cassol

Shawn Hayley

Shawn Hayley

Tetyana Kendzerska

Argel Aguilar Valles

William Willmore

Kai-Florian Storch

Marie-Claude Audet

Hongyu Sun

Rébecca Robillard

Taylor Hatchard