Doctorate of Philosophy, 1995
Department of Physiology, University of Michigan

Bachelor of Arts, 1983
Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University

Dr. Morgan’s research will focus on neural and endocrine signals that underlie disturbances in eating and emotional behavior. He will model these disturbances in the Syrian hamster and study stress resilience of escape, food-seeking, and feeding behaviors in melanocortin-5 receptor (MC5R) knockout mice.

Previous Research Accomplishments
Assistant Professor (2001-2004) Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College
(1) Discovered MC5R regulation of melanocortinergic mechanism in depression. (2) Developed tests for
anxious & depressive behaviors in rodents. (3) Discovered that social separation is more anxiogenic &
depressogenic to female hamsters. (4) Discovered that social trauma induces chronic, treatment-resistant
anxious & depressive behaviors in male hamsters.

Senior Post-doctoral Scientist (1998-2000) Vollum Institute
(1) Discovered that MC5R regulates pheromonal pathway for aggression in mice. (2) Discovered that female
hamsters induce pheromone-induced anorexia in male hamsters.

Post-doctoral Scientist (1996-1998) Salk Institute
Developed antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) knockdown of hypothalamic CRH signaling in vivo.

Pre-doctoral Scientist (1989-91) Physiology, University of Michigan
(1) Developed hamster-specific molecular and biochemical probes. (2) Linked hypothalamic and testicular
POMC expression to seasonal changes in testicular morphogenesis. (3) Linked pituitary POMC expression
to seasonal changes in adrenal morphogenesis; (4) Elaborated on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
role in seasonal and diurnal rhythms of aggression in hamsters

Assistant Professor, 2006-Present
Texas A&M University, Dept. of Nutrition and Food Science

Adjunct Assistant Professor, 2005
Department of Biology, California State University, San Marcos, CA

Assistant Professor, 2001-2004
Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY

Senior Post-doctoral Scientist, 1998-2000
Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR

Post-doctoral Scientist, 1996-1998
Peptide Biology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA