J. Ernie

Blevins

PhD

Education & Training

Ph.D., Creighton University, 1997

Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of California, Davis, 2000

Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Washington, 2002

Research Interests

• Brain pathways regulating leptin signaling from the hypothalamus to the brainstem linked to the control of food intake
• Neuroanatomical techniques-for mapping neural circuits (oxytocin, corticotropin releasing hormone) involved with mediating the effects of leptin on food intake and energy expenditure
• Role of hindbrain oxytocin receptor signaling in the pathogenesis underlying diet-induced obesity
• Role of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in mediating oxytocin-elicited weight loss in diet-induced obese rodents and nonhuman primates

Honors

Young Investigator Travel Award, Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (1995)

Clinical Nutrition Research Unit Pilot and Feasibility Award, University of Washington (2002-2004)

Department of Veterans Affairs, Merit Review Research Award (2004-2007)

Department of Veterans Affairs Research Enhancement Award Program Pilot Award (2005-2007)

Department of Veterans Affairs, Merit Review Research Award (2007-2011)

Department of Veterans Affairs Superior Performance Award (2008)

Vector Laboratories Outstanding Young Investigator Award and Travel Award, Histochemical Society (2008)

Department of Veterans Affairs Superior Performance Award (2009)

Young Histochemist Award, Histochemical Society (2009)

Editorial Board: Endocrinology (2009-2012)

Outstanding Young Investigator Award, Histochemical Society (2009)

Research Scientist Travel Award, Histochemical Society (2010)

Department of Veterans Affairs, Merit Review Research Award (2012-2016)

Editor’s Pick: Blevins et al., Am. J. Physiol., 303: 1231-1240, 2012 (2012)

Editor's Choice: Ho et al., Endocrinol. 154: 589-596, 2013 (2013)

UC Davis California National Primate Research Center Pilot Project (2013)

Department of Veterans Affairs Superior Performance Award (2013)

Editorial Board: American Journal of Physiology (2013)

VA Puget Sound Health Care System Research and Development Seed Grant (2016)

Department of Veterans Affairs Superior Performance Award (2017)

National Institutes of Health R01 (2018-2022)

Department of Veterans Affairs, Merit Review Research Award (2018-2022)

Department of Veterans Affairs Superior Performance Award (2019)

Department of Veterans Affairs Performance Award (2020)

Department of Veterans Affairs Performance Award (2021)

Department of Veterans Affairs, Merit Review Research Award (2023-2027).