Simon J. Rhodes, Ph.D.
Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine
▪ Developmental physiology
▪ Molecular basis of pediatric combined pituitary hormone deficiency diseases
▪ Transcriptional regulation of endocrine organ development

Research Overview
Our laboratory investigates how key transcription factor genes direct the establishment of the specialized hormone-secreting cell types of endocrine organs during vertebrate development. Transcription factors are proteins that act as molecular switches to turn activate and repress target genes. Endocrine organs are ductless glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones serve as molecular signals to regulate many physiological functions by affecting the activities of target organs. Mammalian endocrine organs include the brain, the pituitary gland, the pancreas, the thyroid, the gut, the adrenal glands, the gonads, the placenta, the kidney, adipose, etc. The anterior pituitary gland presents a valuable model system to pursue these studies. The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain. In response to signals from the brain, it secretes polypeptide hormones that regulate growth, sexual function, lactation, thyroid activity, adrenal physiology and homeostasis. The mammalian pituitary contains five discrete cell types that are each characterized by the specific hormones that they release. We use both molecular/in vitro and transgenic animal approaches to examine the roles of several classes of transcription factors in pituitary development and function.

Our research goals include:

1. Characterization of the molecular genetic pathways by which transcription factors control the development and physiology of the pituitary gland.
    
2. Investigation of the molecular nature of human pituitary diseases, such as combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) diseases in children and pituitary tumors. These studies involve collaboration with faculty at Children's Hospital, Leipzig, Germany; Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis; Maimonides Hospital Brooklyn, NY, and other hospitals.
    
3. The analysis of the gene regulatory pathways that control growth, metabolism and reproductive fitness in agricultural species, in collaboration with the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center.

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