How brain and behavior influence weight from infancy to childhood
Neural and behavioral mechanisms of obesity development from infancy through childhood
This project looks at whether differences in early brain development and eating behaviors help explain which infants and young children gain extra weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291864 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your child would be followed from infancy into middle childhood with repeated brain MRI scans, genetic information, parent questionnaires about appetite, and regular measurements of height and weight. Researchers will compare measures like myelination and brain region volumes in control and reward circuits with reported appetite and weight changes over time. The study will pay special attention to children whose mothers had obesity or who carry obesity-related genetic variants to see how those risk factors shape brain and eating patterns. Visits will include MRI scans, behavioral and parent-report measures, and routine growth and eating habit assessments across several years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are infants and children through middle childhood, particularly those with a family history of obesity or early signs of strong appetite or rapid weight gain.
Not a fit: Adults without children and people outside the infancy-to-middle-childhood age range would not benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help spot children at higher risk for unhealthy weight gain early so families and clinicians can target prevention.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked brain measures and appetite to pediatric obesity, but following children with repeated MRI from infancy into middle childhood is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carnell, Susan — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Carnell, Susan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.