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Michal Pietrzak is a PhD student and resident physician at Linköping University Hospital, currently involved in research related to bariatric surgery. His ongoing projects explore the behavioral and cognitive effects of bariatric surgery, with a focus on the appetite-inducing hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin, produced in the stomach, is known to influence appetite and is linked to decision-making processes in healthy volunteers. Pietrzak's research highlights how reduced levels of ghrelin may contribute to weight loss following bariatric surgery and examines its role in the brain's motivation and decision-making systems, particularly in areas associated with the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. His findings suggest that ghrelin not only affects food reward and novelty-seeking behavior but also plays a crucial role in the central nervous system's responses to anxiety and stress. Pietrzak hypothesizes that the decision-making processes are modulated by signals related to food availability, thereby influencing how individuals assess risk and reward when engaging with their environment.
Requirements are standardized across the Faculty of Science and Engineering (Institute of Technology) for international Master's programs.