Understanding how gut sensations affect eating disorders
Official title: Investigation of Gastrointestinal Interoception in the Maintenance of Disordered Eating Behaviors
Funded at University of South Florida · NIH-10998347 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how people with eating disorders, like anorexia, feel and react to sensations in their stomachs and how this might affect their eating habits, with the goal of finding better ways to help them feel better and eat healthier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $39,186 |
| NIH project number | 1F31MH138105-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10998347 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals aged 21 and older who are experiencing restrictive eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have eating disorders or those under 21 years old may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how individuals with eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and related conditions, process sensations from their gastrointestinal (GI) system. It aims to understand the relationship between heightened sensitivity to GI sensations and the maintenance of disordered eating behaviors. By examining the mechanisms behind altered GI experiences, the study seeks to inform new treatment strategies that could include medical interventions and exposure therapies. Patients may be asked to participate in assessments that explore their GI sensations and responses to food intake.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatment options for individuals with eating disorders by addressing the underlying GI interoceptive dysfunction.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific focus on GI interoception in eating disorders is relatively novel, related research has shown that addressing sensory processing can improve treatment outcomes in other psychological conditions.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Florida
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Poovey, Kendall Nicole — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Poovey, Kendall Nicole
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how cell signals control heart development in Down syndrome
Scientists are studying why many babies with Down syndrome have heart defects and how interrupting specific signals in heart cells might prevent or lessen these problems.
-
Multi-agent AI to annotate enzymes in the human gut microbiome
A team at a major university will build an AI system that automatically curates and labels the functions of enzymes in the human gut microbiome to speed up understanding their health effects.
-
P7C3-based small molecule to help the heart restore NAD+ and function
A promising new approach aims to use P7C3-like small molecules to boost NAD+ in heart cells so people with heart failure could experience improved heart energy and function.
-
Self-supervised deep learning for biological sequences
A deep learning project uses self-supervised methods to better understand biological sequences and related data, with the goal of advancing biology and medicine.
-
Environmental factors and early autoimmunity leading to type 1 diabetes in youth (TEDDY NCC2 follow-up)
Researchers continue a long-running study to understand environmental triggers that start autoimmunity and progress to type 1 diabetes in children aged 6–15.
-
T Lymphopenia After a Heart Attack: Could Restoring T Cells Help Your Heart Heal
A study at the University of South Florida aims to understand why certain immune cells called CD4+ T cells drop after a heart attack and whether boosting them could improve heart recovery.
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.