Impact of early overfeeding on brain hunger neurons and energy balance
Official title: Impact of early overnutrition on leptin signaling in hypothalamic neuropeptide Y neurons
Funded at University of Wyoming · NIH-11388642 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at how early-life overnutrition may change brain circuits that control hunger and energy use, with potential implications for preventing obesity-related diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wyoming NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Laramie, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2017 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $208,058 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM121310-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11388642 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults and children at risk of or affected by obesity and metabolic disorders, whose early-life nutrition history is relevant to their condition.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without concerns about obesity or metabolic health may not directly benefit from this basic mechanistic research.
What this research studies
If funded, researchers will study how being overweight early in life affects the hypothalamic neurons that drive appetite, using brain slice experiments to see how daily cycles influence neuron activity and signaling. They will examine how the hormone leptin, which helps regulate food intake, becomes less effective after early overnutrition. The work combines multiple neurophysiology techniques to map how chronic early overfeeding reshapes neural circuits tied to energy balance. Findings could inform non-invasive strategies to maintain healthy metabolism from childhood into adulthood.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how early nutrition influences brain control of appetite could lead to non-drug strategies to reduce obesity risk and its related health problems.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown that early nutrition can alter brain circuits controlling feeding, but the specific impact on ARH-NPY neurons and diurnal signaling remains an active area with ongoing discoveries.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wyoming
Laramie, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roberts, Brandon L — University of Wyoming
- Study coordinator: Roberts, Brandon L
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.