Nicholas Betley

Nicholas Betley is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on neural circuits governing survival behaviors, particularly feeding, hunger, and their interactions with other physiological systems. He leads the Betley Lab, which employs multidisciplinary approaches combining neuroscience, molecular biology, and behavioral analysis to study how body-brain communication influences health, metabolism, and mental well-being.

Dr. Betley holds a B.A. from Boston University (2002) and a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2010). His work has identified key neural circuits regulating food intake and revealed how hunger signals modulate inflammation and behavioral priorities. Recent projects explore exercise's impact on brain function and its role in metabolic health. The lab also investigates how survival needs interface with mental health and aging processes.

Key research themes include: hunger-circuit plasticity, gut-brain axis interactions, and the neurobiology of reward systems. Betley's contributions bridge basic science and translational research, with implications for obesity, addiction, and neurological disorders. His team collaborates across disciplines to advance understanding of how neural circuits integrate physiological needs into adaptive behaviors.