James Edgar McCutcheon

James Edgar McCutcheon is a Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Behavior at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. His research focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying feeding behavior, reward processing, and dopamine signaling, particularly in the context of protein restriction, nutrient preference, and metabolic regulation. His work employs rodent models to investigate how physiological states interact with neural circuits in regions like the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and lateral hypothalamus.

Key research themes include: dopamine's role in reward and homeostasis, neural adaptations to dietary changes, and the interplay between hunger signals (e.g., ghrelin, FGF21) and behavioral responses. He has pioneered studies on how intermittent protein restriction influences food intake and hormonal profiles in mice.

Recent studies highlight his work on the ventral tegmental area's role in prehensile movements, the effects of junk food on neural circuits, and the development of FAIR-compliant biomedical data repositories from home-cage monitoring. His publications span neurochemistry, behavioral pharmacology, and translational neuroscience.

Though no awards are explicitly listed, his extensive publication record reflects sustained contributions to behavioral and translational neuroscience. He advises no listed students but collaborates on projects involving fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and microfluidic electrode calibration.