Dr. Jeff Tatro received his BS in Biological Sciences from Union College in 1976 and his PhD in Physiology from The University of Michigan, where he studied the metabolic roles of growth hormone in diabetes, in 1985. He did his postdoctoral training, including an NIH postdoctoral fellowship award, with Dr. Seymour Reichlin in the Endocrine Division of New England Medical Center. He received his first independent NIH grant and joined the permanent faculty of the Division in 1988.
Since then, he has received research grants from a variety of agencies, foundations and companies, on topics ranging from cancer cell biology and therapeutics to the relationships between neuroendocrinology, fever and immunity. His discovery and characterization of receptors for the melanocortin neuropeptide family in the brain and in human metastatic melanoma laid the foundation for a major focus of current obesity research and development programs in academic and pharmaceutical/biotech laboratories worldwide. His research program to elucidate the mechanisms by which the brain's melanocortin system controls fever and immunity has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health since 1988. He has been Associate Professor of Medicine since 1999.
Jeffrey Tatro
New England Medical Center
800 Washington Street, NEMC #268, Boston, MA 02111
Office Phone 617-636-5690
Fax 617-636-4719
Email jtatro@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
Appointments
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Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine; Div. of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Molecular Medicine, Tufts Medical Center Hospitals (Primary appointment)
- Associate Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Tufts University School of Medicine and Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences (Secondary appointment)
Research Interests
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Roles of CNS neuropeptides in febrile and neuroendocrine responses to microbial infection
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Relationships between melanocortins, neuroendocrine systems and energy balance
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Neuroprotective role of melanocortins in stroke
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Novel roles of melanocortin receptors in control of thyroid and adrenal (stress) responses
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Neuropeptide receptor pharmacology and signaling
Representative Publications
Huang Q-H, Hruby VJ, Tatro JB. Role of central melanocortins in endotoxin-induced anorexia. Amer. J. Physiol. 276 (Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 45): R864-R871, 1999. PubMed Abstract
Huang Q-H, Hruby VJ, Tatro JB. Systemic a-MSH suppresses LPS fever via central melanocortin receptors, independently of its suppression of corticosterone and IL-6 release. Amer. J. Physiol., Amer. J. Physiol. 275 (Regul. Integr. Compar. Physiol. 44): R524-R530, 1998. PubMed Abstract
Van der Kraan M, Adan RAH, Entwistle ME, Gispen WH, Burbach JPH, Tatro JB. Expression of melanocortin 5 receptor in secretory epithelia supports a functional role in exocrine and endocrine glands. Endocrinology 139:2348-2355, 1998. PubMed Abstract
Huang Q-H, Entwistle ML, Alvaro JD, Duman RS, Hruby VJ, Tatro JB. Antipyretic role of endogenous melanocortins mediated by central melanocortin receptors during endotoxin-induced fever. J. Neurosci., 17:3343-3351, 1997. PubMed Abstract
Tatro JB. Melanocortin receptor expression and function in the nervous system. In: Cone RD (ed) The Melanocortin Receptors. Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 2000, pp. 173-207 (Review).
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