Patrick Robert Sweeney

Patrick Robert Sweeney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with primary appointments in the Neuroscience Program of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. His research investigates neural circuitry at the critical intersection of feeding behavior, emotional regulation, and reproductive processes, utilizing advanced methodologies to address metabolic and psychiatric disorders.

Education:

• B.A., University of Rochester, 2012
• Ph.D., SUNY Upstate Medical University, 2017
• Postdoctoral Training, University of Michigan, 2017-2021

Research Focus: Dr. Sweeney's laboratory employs a multidisciplinary toolkit including in vivo calcium imaging (Inscopix miniscope), optogenetics, chemogenetics, and single-neuron RNA sequencing to dissect the central melanocortin system's role in metabolic-emotional integration. His work reveals how POMC/AgRP neurons and MC3R/MC4R receptors form neural circuits that coordinate energy homeostasis with anxiety and reproductive states, with direct implications for anorexia nervosa, obesity, and gestational diabetes. Key disease targets include metabolic disorders/diabetes, neurological/behavioral disorders, and reproductive conditions like infertility.

Publication Trends: Analysis of Dr. Sweeney's 15 most recent articles (2015-2025) shows a consistent trajectory from foundational neural circuit mapping toward translational applications. His work increasingly emphasizes MC3R's role in energy rheostasis and anxiety regulation, with recent studies (2023-2025) demonstrating therapeutic potential through melanocortin system modulation. The research spans molecular neuroscience to behavioral phenotyping, with growing focus on lactation physiology and stress-feeding integration.

Scientific Awards: No major scientific awards listed.

Advising and Grants: While specific advisees and grant details aren't provided in the source text, Dr. Sweeney's active publication record and lab operations suggest ongoing PhD/Master's student mentorship and external research funding, particularly for melanocortin system therapeutics.

Laboratory: Dr. Sweeney leads his research team at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, where they maintain specialized capabilities in neural circuit interrogation and metabolic phenotyping. Current projects include characterizing MC3R/MC4R neuron responses in pathological feeding states and developing circuit-based interventions for feeding disorders.