{"id":95,"date":"2023-12-27T20:22:17","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T20:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rebeca-mh.com\/?page_id=95"},"modified":"2026-01-14T23:47:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T23:47:27","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rebeca-mh.com\/en\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Investigaci\u00f3n"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I am interested in understanding the mechanisms that drive\u00a0obesity\u00a0and\u00a0metabolic syndrome\u00a0in the context of\u00a0circadian disruption. Our 24\/7 society has created an environment where the daily cycles of activity\/rest, feeding\/fasting, and light\/dark exposure are no longer naturally aligned. Working at night, eating at night, and being exposed to light at night all increase the risk of having metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore,\u00a0I study the relationship between the circadian system and metabolism in healthy and diseased conditions, focusing on the role of the nervous system.<\/p>

Currently, I am working as a postdoctoral fellow at the\u00a0de Lartigue lab at Monell Chemical Senses in Philadelphia, PA, USA, supported by a fellowship from the American Heart Association. At the de Lartigue lab, we study the neurobiology of interoception, the process by which organisms can sense their internal state. In particular, I am studying how feedback signals from the body are communicated to the brain to influence circadian rhythms.<\/p><\/div>

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Last updated: January 2026.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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  1. Yang M, de Araujo A, Shakir J, Braga I, Mendez-Hernandez R<\/strong>, Tofani GSS, Bali A, de Lartigue J, Song H, McCutcheon JE, Morrison CD, de Lartigue G. Vagal sensory neurons encode internal protein status to guide eating. Mol Metab. 2025<\/em> Dec 16:102303. doi: 10.1016\/j.molmet.2025.102303<\/a>. Epub ahead of print.<\/li>
  2. Hurtado-Alvarado, G., Mendez-Hernandez, R.<\/strong>, Avila-Soto, K. I., Salazar-Ju\u00e1rez, A., Espinoza-Rojo, M., Escobar, C., V\u00e1zquez-Moreno, M., & Cruz, M. (2025). Serum S100\u03b2 and neuron-specific enolase correlate with obesity parameters in Mexican children. International Journal of Obesity.<\/em> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41366-025-01942-y<\/a><\/li>
  3. Mendez-Hernandez R<\/strong>, Braga I, Bali A, Yang M, de Lartigue G. Vagal Sensory Gut-Brain Pathways That Control Eating-Satiety and Beyond. (2025) Comprehensive Physiology<\/em> Apr; 15 (2):e70010. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/cph4.70010<\/a><\/li>
  4. Scott KA, Tan Y, Johnson DN, Elsaafien K, Baumer-Harrison C, M\u00e9ndez-Hern\u00e1ndez R<\/strong>, Kirchner MK, Eikenberry SA, Sa JM, Stern JE, de Lartigue G, de Kloet AD, Krause EG.(2025) Mechanosensation of the heart and gut elicits hypometabolism and vigilance in mice. Nature Metabolism<\/em>. 7: 263\u2013275;. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42255-024-01205-6<\/a>.<\/li>
  5. McDougle, M., de Araujo A., Singh, A., Yang, M., Braga, I., Paille, V., Mendez-Hernandez, R.<\/strong>, Vergara, M., Woodie, L., Gour, A., Sharma, A., Urs, N., Warren, B., de Lartigue, G. (2024) Separate gut-brain circuits for fat and sugar reinforcement combine to promote overeating. Cell Metabolism;<\/em> Feb 6; 36 (2) :393-407.e7 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cmet.2023.12.014<\/a><\/li>
  6. Guzm\u00e1n-Ruiz, M.A., Guerrero-Vargas, N.N., Lagunes-Cruz, A., Gonz\u00e1lez-Gonz\u00e1lez, S., Garc\u00eda-Aviles, E., Hurtado-Alvarado, G., Mendez-Hern\u00e1ndez, R<\/strong>, Chavarr\u00eda-Krauser, A., Arriaga-Avila, V., Buijs, R., & Guevara-Guzm\u00e1n, R. (2023) Circadian modulation of microglial physiological processes and immune responses. Glia 71<\/em> (2), 155-167. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/glia.24261<\/a>.<\/li>
  7. M\u00e9ndez-Hern\u00e1ndez, R.<\/strong>,Rumanova, V., Guzm\u00e1n-Ruiz, M.A, Foppen, E., Moreno-Morton, R., Hurtado-Alvarado, G., Escobar C, Kalsbeek, A., Buijs R.M. (2023) Minor changes in daily rhythms induced by a skeleton photoperiod are associated with adiposity and glucose intolerance Advanced Biology (Weinh) Nov 2023;<\/em> 7 (11):e2200116. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/adbi.202200116<\/a>. Epub 2022 Jul 11.<\/li>
  8. Garc\u00eda-Aviles, J. E., M\u00e9ndez-Hern\u00e1ndez, R.<\/strong>, Guzm\u00e1n-Ruiz, M.A., Cruz, M., Guerrero-Vargas, N.N., Vel\u00e1zquez-Moctezuma, J., Hurtado-Alvarado, G. (2021) Metabolic disturbances induced by sleep restriction as potential triggers for Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 15,<\/em> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnint.2021.722523<\/a><\/li>
  9. M\u00e9ndez-Hern\u00e1ndez, R.<\/strong>, Escobar C, Buijs RM (2020). Suprachiasmatic Nucleus\u2013Arcuate Nucleus Axis: Interaction Between Time and Metabolism; Essential for Health. Obesity 28<\/em> (S1), S10\u201317, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/oby.22774<\/a><\/li>
  10. Buijs, R.,Guzman-Ruiz, M.A., Mendez-Hernandez, R.<\/strong>, & Rodriguez-Cortes,B. (2019). The suprachiasmatic nucleus; a responsive clock regulating homeostasis by daily changing the setpoints of physiological parameters. Autonomic Neuroscience 218<\/em>, 43-50, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.autneu.2019.02.001<\/a><\/li>
  11. Moran-Ramos, S., Guerrero-Vargas, N. N., Mendez-Hernandez, R.<\/strong>, Basualdo, M. d. C., Escobar, C. and Buijs, R. M. (2017). The suprachiasmatic nucleus drives day-night variations in postprandial triglyceride uptake into skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue. Experimental Physiology 102<\/em> (12), 1584\u20131595, http:\/\/doi.org\/10.1113\/EP086026<\/a><\/li><\/ol>
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    Cap\u00edtulos de libro<\/b><\/div>
    1. Mendez-Hernandez, R.<\/strong>*, Martinez-Gomez, R., Tort-Enriquez, Y., Buijs, R. La regulaci\u00f3n hipotal\u00e1mica del metabolismo; el hipot\u00e1lamo como centro integrador<\/em> en el libro \u201cObesidad y metabolismo, una perspectiva integrativa: aportaciones desde la ciencia b\u00e1sica a la ciencia aplicada\u201d. Tomo I. Universidad Iberoamericana. Accepted and in press.<\/span> *Corresponding author<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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      Awards and recognition<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Nomination<\/b>(2025) by Monell Chemical Senses Center for the prestigious postdoctoral Warren Alpert Scholarship.<\/p>

      Travel Award for Early Career Researchers <\/b> (2025) awarded by the International Regulatory\npeptide Society.<\/p>

      Best poster presentation <\/b> (2025) at the 20th Symposium of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania.<\/p>

      American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship<\/b> Two-year scholarship. Assessed among top 1% of applicants.<\/p>

      Early Career Researcher Virtual Attendance Award <\/b> (2023) awarded by the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior<\/p>

      Travel Award for Early Career Researchers <\/b>(2021) awarded by the International Regulatory peptide Society.<\/p>

      Travel Award for Early Career Researchers <\/b> (2019) awarded by the European Biological Rhythms Society.<\/p>

      SFN Housing Award <\/b> (2015) for attending the Society for Neuroscience meeting, awarded by the Mexican Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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      Resumen \u00a0 Me interesa comprender los mecanismos que impulsan la obesidad y el s\u00edndrome metab\u00f3lico en el contexto de la disrupci\u00f3n circadiana. Nuestra sociedad 24\/7 ha creado un entorno en el que los ciclos diarios de actividad y descanso, alimentaci\u00f3n y ayuno, y exposici\u00f3n a la luz y la oscuridad ya no est\u00e1n alineados de […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-95","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nResearch - Rebeca MH<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rebeca-mh.com\/en\/research\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Research - Rebeca MH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Resumen \u00a0 Me interesa comprender los mecanismos que impulsan la obesidad y el s\u00edndrome metab\u00f3lico en el contexto de la disrupci\u00f3n circadiana. 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