Dr Romana Stark (PhD) is a metabolic neuroscientist at Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology. Her research investigates the neural circuit regulation of appetite, energy metabolism, and glucose homeostasis, examining how hypothalamic and reward circuits integrate central neuroendocrine signals, nutrient sensing, and sensory modalities—such as olfaction—to control feeding behaviour and systemic metabolic health. Employing advanced viral circuit mapping, in vivo neurobiology, and precise metabolic phenotyping, her laboratory uncovers fundamental brain mechanisms governing energy balance and glucose counterregulation. Dr Stark has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications (>2,700 citations, h-index 27), delivering key mechanistic insights into brain–body communication and defining novel therapeutic targets for obesity and type 2 diabetes.