Sarah Lockie

Sarah Lockie serves as Research Development Manager at Monash University's School of Biomedical Sciences, where she also completed her PhD in 2012 through a joint supervision arrangement with the University of Cincinnati, OH, USA. Her research career spans over a decade with 38 documented research outputs and leadership on 9 research projects, demonstrating sustained scholarly activity in metabolic neuroscience and related fields.

Dr. Lockie's research interests center on metabolic neuroscience with particular focus on cancer cachexia, neural control of feeding, and ghrelin resistance in obesity. Her work integrates multiple disciplines including endocannabinoid signaling, glucose metabolism, and appetite regulation pathways. She investigates specialized neural populations including AgRP neurons, GFRAL neurons, and examines the role of GDF15, GLP-1, and glucagon in metabolic homeostasis. Her current research particularly emphasizes loss of appetite mechanisms in cancer cachexia, representing a critical area of translational neuroscience with significant clinical implications.

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward understanding the neural circuitry connecting metabolic states with cognitive and emotional processing, particularly examining how stress affects appetite regulation through specific neurocircuitry between the prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus. This work bridges basic neuroscience with clinical applications for cancer-related appetite disorders.

• Harold Mitchell ECR travel fellowship (2018)
• Vice Chancellor's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence (2012)
• Young Investigator Prize (2015)

Dr. Lockie has secured multiple research grants including the Endocrine Society of Australia Post Doctoral Award (2020-2021), BSN Research visit grant (2019), and currently leads the NHMRC-funded project 'Targeting the brain and sympathetic nervous system to improve outcomes in cancer cachexia' (2022-2025). She has also contributed as a Chief Investigator on the NHMRC Equipment Grant for Danish Myo-Technology (2023-2024). Her collaborative network includes prominent researchers such as Z. Andrews, R. Stark, and R. Clarke, reflecting strong interdisciplinary connections within metabolic neuroscience.

Her research operates at the intersection of metabolic neuroscience and clinical applications, with particular emphasis on translating basic findings about neural appetite regulation into potential therapeutic approaches for cancer cachexia. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and well-being through its focus on improving outcomes for cancer patients experiencing appetite loss.