New Approaches For The Discovery Of Obesity Causing Genes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,910.00
Summary
Obesity is a major health problem and treatments are ineffective. My team’s focus is to identify new candidate genes that control appetite and body fat mass and how this leads to the development of obesity or the other extreme, anorexia. We will use whole genome sequence analysis in humans and functionally validate the newly identified genes in model organisms like mice and flies. Results from this study will eventually form the basis for personalized and general health care in the future.
Obesity-associated diseases are a major health problem and treatments are ineffective. My team’s focus is to determine how a brain molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY) controls appetite and body fat mass and how this is changed in obesity or in the other extreme, anorexia, which is common in late stage cancer. We will use genetically modified mouse models and investigate the role of NPY under different stress conditions and in cancer. This will tell us if targeting this NPY system with drugs may ....Obesity-associated diseases are a major health problem and treatments are ineffective. My team’s focus is to determine how a brain molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY) controls appetite and body fat mass and how this is changed in obesity or in the other extreme, anorexia, which is common in late stage cancer. We will use genetically modified mouse models and investigate the role of NPY under different stress conditions and in cancer. This will tell us if targeting this NPY system with drugs may provide a treatment for these diseases.Read moreRead less
Optimising Benefits And Minimising Potential Harms Of Obesity Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$707,370.00
Summary
This work aims to find safe and more effective obesity treatments for the over 2.1 billion people worldwide with overweight or obesity. Severely energy restricted diets are currently the most effective dietary obesity treatment, but these are underutilized due to concerns about potential harms. This work will investigate using severe diets intermittently rather than continuously, as a means of enhancing their benefits of long-term weight/fat loss while also reducing potential harmful effects.
Dietary Nutrients As Novel Therapeutic Approaches To Appetite Regulation In Health And Disorders Of Eating
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,975.00
Summary
The goal of the proposed work is to translate the discoveries from our research on the effects of dietary nutrients, including specific fatty acids and amino acids, on energy intake suppression and blood glucose control into novel, and effective, nutrient-based prevention, management and treatment strategies for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Thus, our work will not only generate important new knowledge, but also lead to major health outcomes for the benefit of the general public.
This research is directed toward an understanding of the role of the brain and other organs in the control of how much food we eat, how much energy we expend and how energy sources such as fat and glucose are used and stored. We use animals to help provide this information and focus on areas of body weight control ranging from models of bariatric surgery to studies of the ways that weight loss drugs act in the brain to reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure.
Manipulation Of Energy Metabolism To Control Lipid Accumulation And Insulin Action.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$804,106.00
Summary
I am a metabolic biochemist investigating how overconsumption of calories, particularly fat, results in dysfunctional energy metabolism and increased the risk of type 2 diabetes. I examine changes in the daily rhythms of energy intake, energy utilisation and energy storage in different tissues of dietary and genetically modified animals to pinpoint novel ways of reducing fat accumulation and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.