How the brain controls hunger and fullness through a key brain hub
Official title: The routing of hunger/satiety information by the parabrachial nucleus (PBN)
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11446806 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at a major hospital is exploring how the brain tells you when you’re hungry or full by tracing signals through a brain area called the parabrachial nucleus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2006 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $665,752 |
| NIH project number | 2R01DK075632-20 |
| Project ID | NIH-11446806 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity or weight-related health concerns who are interested in how brain signals influence eating behavior.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without obesity-related concerns or those not interested in brain-behavior links may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are investigating how hunger and fullness signals move from the traditional hunger circuits to higher brain regions that shape motivation. The work focuses on the parabrachial nucleus as a central relay that connects nearby satiety circuits to broader brain areas involved in desire to eat. By mapping these pathways, the project aims to clarify why certain signals promote eating while others curb it, which could inform new approaches to obesity. The study uses neuroanatomical tracing and related methods to understand these connections in the context of human obesity biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could lead to new targets for obesity therapies that modulate brain signals related to hunger and fullness.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has begun to map hunger circuits, with growing evidence that higher brain areas influence eating behavior through relay hubs like the PBN.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lowell, Bradford B — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Lowell, Bradford B
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.