Obesity and Metabolic Health Theme: Leader - Professor Julian Mercer

Obesity has a strong genetic determinant, and as a result we are differentially equipped to deal with the modern food environment. Dealing with this problem requires that we overcome the genetic weakness inherent in susceptible people. This requires that we understand and exploit the satiating properties of certain food components better and learn how to influence hardwired behaviours.

Ingestive Behaviour - Dr Perry Barrett

Dr. Perry Barrett - Molecular mechanisms in body weight regulation

Professor Peter Morgan - Neurobiology of energy balance

Dr. Julian Mercer - Dietary behaviour and molecular mechanisms

Dr. Alex Johnstone - Appetite across the lifecourse

Dr. Alexander Ross - Food-Gut-Brain: control of satiety and weight management

Dr. Clare Adam - Programming of energy balance regulation and control of satiety

Metabolic Health - Dr Lynda Williams

Dr. Lynda Williams - Hormone-nutrient interactions in energy balance

Dr. Nigel Hoggard - Endocrine and physiological role of factors secreted by adipose tissue

Dr. Andreas Kolb - Nutrition and epigenetic gene regulation

Dr. Janice Drew - Cellullar defence systems diet and health

Dr. Baukje de Roos - Lipids and Atherosclerosis

Dr. Bill Rees - Metabolism and Development

Some of the scientific themes covered within the Obesity and Metabolic Health research programme fall into an area of science known as neuroendocrinology, and thus reflect the interplay between the endocrine and nervous systems, and the control of vital physiological functions. The British Society for Neuroendocrinology website has a public engagement section that presents accessible summaries of the importance of neuroendocrinology in the following categories: behaviour, sex, maternal influence, stress, obesity, body clock.