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Dr Zhi Yi Ong

Dr Zhi Yi Ong

Senior Lecturer

PhD (Biomedical Science), University of South Australia

BHlthSci (Hons) University of Adelaide 

BSc (Biomedical Science) University of Adelaide

Science
School of Psychology

I am interested in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of food intake control and addiction. Using multi-level approaches in rodent models, my research explores the neural circuits, neuropeptide function, gut-brain interaction, and intracellular signaling pathways that contribute to the control of feeding and addictive behaviours.
Phone
02 9385 5480
E-mail
zhiyi.ong@unsw.edu.au
Location
Mathews, Room 509
  • Book Chapters | 2017
    Millan EZ; Ong ZY; McNally GP, 2017, 'Paraventricular thalamus: Gateway to feeding, appetitive motivation, and drug addiction', in Progress in Brain Research, Elsevier B.V., pp. 113 - 137, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2017.07.006
  • Journal articles | 2023
    Murphy S; Collis Glynn M; Dixon TN; Grill HJ; McNally GP; Ong ZY, 2023, 'Nucleus of the solitary tract A2 neurons control feeding behaviors via projections to the paraventricular hypothalamus', Neuropsychopharmacology, 48, pp. 351 - 361, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01448-5
    Journal articles | 2022
    Naomi R; Bahari H; Ong ZY; Keong YY; Embong H; Rajandram R; Teoh SH; Othman F; Hasham R; Yin KB; Kaniappan P; Yazid MD; Zakaria ZA, 2022, 'Mechanisms of Natural Extracts of Andrographis paniculata That Target Lipid-Dependent Cancer Pathways: A View from the Signaling Pathway', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms23115972
    Journal articles | 2020
    Dixon TN; McNally GP; Ong ZY, 2020, 'Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Signaling in the Ventral Tegmental Area Reduces Alcohol Self-Administration in Male Rats', Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 44, pp. 2118 - 2129, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acer.14437
    Journal articles | 2020
    Ong ZY; McNally GP, 2020, 'CART in energy balance and drug addiction: Current insights and mechanisms', Brain Research, 1740, pp. 146852, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146852
    Journal articles | 2020
    Wald HS; Chandra A; Kalluri A; Ong ZY; Hayes MR; Grill HJ, 2020, 'NTS and VTA oxytocin reduces food motivation and food seeking', American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 319, pp. R673 - R683, http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/AJPREGU.00201.2020
    Journal articles | 2019
    Alhadeff AL; Conway SM; Ong ZY; Wald HS; Roitman MF; Grill HJ, 2019, 'Central leptin signaling transmits positive valence', Brain Research, 1724, pp. 146441 - 146441, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146441
    Journal articles | 2019
    Ong ZY; Liu J-J; Pang Z; Grill H, 2019, 'Peptidergic signaling in the paraventricular thalamus: Effects on food intake and reward', IBRO Reports, 6, pp. S41 - S42, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ibror.2019.07.125
    Journal articles | 2019
    Ong ZY, 2019, 'Breaking the intergenerational cycle of obesity with SIRT1', Journal of Physiology, 597, pp. 369 - 370, http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/JP277280
    Journal articles | 2018
    Vithayathil MA; Gugusheff JR; Ong ZY; Langley-Evans SC; Gibson RA; Muhlhausler BS, 2018, 'Exposure to maternal cafeteria diets during the suckling period has greater effects on fat deposition and Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein-1c (SREBP-1c) gene expression in rodent offspring compared to exposure before birth', Nutrition and Metabolism, 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12986-018-0253-3
    Journal articles | 2017
    Ong ZY; Bongiorno DM; Hernando MA; Grill HJ, 2017, 'Effects of endogenous oxytocin receptor signaling in nucleus tractus solitarius on satiation-mediated feeding and thermogenic control in male rats', Endocrinology, 158, pp. 2826 - 2836, http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/en.2017-00200
    Journal articles | 2017
    Ong ZY; Liu JJ; Pang ZP; Grill HJ, 2017, 'Paraventricular thalamic control of food intake and reward: Role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor signaling', Neuropsychopharmacology, 42, pp. 2387 - 2397, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.150
    Journal articles | 2016
    Vithayathil MA; Gugusheff JR; Gibson RA; Ong ZY; Muhlhausler BS, 2016, 'Effect of a maternal cafeteria diet on the fatty acid composition of milk and offspring red blood cells', Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 109, pp. 58 - 65, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2016.03.016
    Journal articles | 2015
    Gugusheff JR; Ong ZY; Muhlhausler BS, 2015, 'The early origins of food preferences: Targeting the critical windows of development', FASEB Journal, 29, pp. 365 - 373, http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.14-255976
    Journal articles | 2015
    Kanoski SE; Ong ZY; Fortin SM; Schlessinger ES; Grill HJ, 2015, 'Liraglutide, leptin and their combined effects on feeding: Additive intake reduction through common intracellular signalling mechanisms', Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 17, pp. 285 - 293, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dom.12423
    Journal articles | 2015
    Ong ZY; Alhadeff AL; Grill HJ, 2015, 'Medial nucleus tractus solitarius oxytocin receptor signaling and food intake control: The role of gastrointestinal satiation signal processing', American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 308, pp. R800 - R806, http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00534.2014
    Journal articles | 2014
    Gugusheff JR; Ong ZY; Muhlhausler BS, 2014, 'Naloxone treatment alters gene expression in the mesolimbic reward system in 'junk food' exposed offspring in a sex-specific manner but does not affect food preferences in adulthood', Physiology and Behavior, 133, pp. 14 - 21, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.04.007
    Journal articles | 2014
    Ong ZY; Muhlhausler BS, 2014, 'Consuming a low-fat diet from weaning to adulthood reverses the programming of food preferences in male, but not in female, offspring of 'junk food'-fed rat dams', Acta Physiologica, 210, pp. 127 - 141, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/apha.12132
    Journal articles | 2013
    Gugusheff JR; Ong ZY; Muhlhausler BS, 2013, 'A maternal "junk-food" diet reduces sensitivity to the opioid antagonist naloxone in offspring postweaning', FASEB Journal, 27, pp. 1275 - 1284, http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.12-217653
    Journal articles | 2013
    Gugusheff JR; Vithayathil M; Ong ZY; Muhlhausler BS, 2013, 'The effects of prenatal exposure to a 'junk food' diet on offspring food preferences and fat deposition can be mitigated by improved nutrition during lactation', Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 4, pp. 348 - 357, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S2040174413000330
    Journal articles | 2013
    Muhlhausler BS; Gugusheff JR; Ong ZY; Vithayathil MA, 2013, 'Nutritional approaches to breaking the intergenerational cycle of obesity', Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 91, pp. 421 - 428, http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjpp-2012-0353
    Journal articles | 2013
    Muhlhausler BS; Gugusheff JR; Ong ZY; Vithayathil MA, 2013, 'Pregnancy, obesity and insulin resistance: Maternal overnutrition and the target windows of fetal development', Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation, 15, pp. 25 - 36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/hmbci-2013-0029
    Journal articles | 2013
    Ong ZY; Wanasuria AF; Lin MZP; Hiscock J; Muhlhausler BS, 2013, 'Chronic intake of a cafeteria diet and subsequent abstinence. Sex-specific effects on gene expression in the mesolimbic reward system', Appetite, 65, pp. 189 - 199, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2013.01.014
    Journal articles | 2012
    Ong ZY; Gugusheff JR; Muhlhausler BS, 2012, 'Perinatal overnutrition and the programming of food preferences: Pathways and mechanisms', Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 3, pp. 299 - 308, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S204017441200030X
    Journal articles | 2011
    Chan H; Prescott M; Ong ZY; Herde MK; Herbison AE; Campbell RE, 2011, 'Dendritic spine plasticity in Gonadatropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) neurons activated at the time of the preovulatory surge', Endocrinology, 152, pp. 4906 - 4914, http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/en.2011-1522
    Journal articles | 2011
    Muhlhausler BS; Ong ZY, 2011, 'The fetal origins of obesity: Early origins of altered food intake', Endocrine, Metabolic and Immune Disorders - Drug Targets, 11, pp. 189 - 197, http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187153011796429835
    Journal articles | 2011
    Ong ZY; Muhlhausler BS, 2011, 'Maternal "junk-food" feeding of rat dams alters food choices and development of the mesolimbic reward pathway in the offspring', FASEB Journal, 25, pp. 2167 - 2179, http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.10-178392
    Journal articles | 2010
    Ong ZY; Gibson RJ; Bowen JM; Stringer AM; Darby JM; Logan RM; Yeoh ASJ; Keefe DM, 2010, 'Pro-inflammatory cytokines play a key role in the development of radiotherapy-induced gastrointestinal mucositis', Radiation Oncology, 5, pp. 22 - 22, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1748-717X-5-22

2021-2023 Australian Research Council Discovery Project. How satiation control reward value and cue-induced appetitive behaviours

2019-2021 NHMRC Project Grant. Neural mechanisms underlying the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 on alcohol intake 

2018 University of New South Wales Faculty of Science Research Grant. How glucagon-like peptide-1 reduces alcohol intake

2017-2019 Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA). Neural circuits underlying the reinstatement of food reward-seeking

2016 Trainee Professional Development Award, Society for Neuroscience 

2015 Harry R Kissileff Award for Best Oral Presentation, Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior 

2015 New Investigator Travel Award, Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior

2012 Healthy Development Adelaide Travel Grant

2012 Ross Wishart Memorial Award Finalist, Australian Society for Medical Research

2011 Junior Investigator Travel Stipend Award, World Congress of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

2011 Barbara Crase Bursary, The Australian Federation of University Women South Australia Trust Fund

2010 Young Investigator Award Semi Finalist, Women's and Children's Health Network, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide

2010 Ross Wishart Memorial Award Finalist, Australian Society for Medical Research

2010 Healthy Development Adelaide Travel Grant

My Research Supervision

Colin Vuong (Honours)