Mechanisms in Disorders of Energy Balance
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Abstract
We aim to understand the biological processes controlling what we eat and how we store and use energy. These pathways are disturbed in obesity and related metabolic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. This knowledge will, ultimately, lead to development of new treatments for these disorders.
We know that an individual’s genetic make-up has a significant role in determining susceptibility to developing obesity and its deleterious consequences. Recent advances have made it substantially easier to analyse human genetic code. We aim to exploit data from human genetic studies to gain fundamental insights into what causes human obesity, and propose to combine these genetic studies with laboratory studies based around cell lines and whole animal models to better understand the pathways involved.
This programme builds on our previous work centred around a large group of patients from around the world who developed severe obesity as children and formed the basis for subsequent detailed studies on food intake and energy use. While humans will always be our experimental subject of choice, there are important mechanistic questions that require alternative approaches. We will use rodent models to explore aspects of disease processes that cannot be readily addressed in humans. Further, rodents have the advantage of being readily susceptible to genetic manipulation allowing precise alteration of specific genes and, importantly, creation of animal models of relevant, specific, human diseases.
We know that an individual’s genetic make-up has a significant role in determining susceptibility to developing obesity and its deleterious consequences. Recent advances have made it substantially easier to analyse human genetic code. We aim to exploit data from human genetic studies to gain fundamental insights into what causes human obesity, and propose to combine these genetic studies with laboratory studies based around cell lines and whole animal models to better understand the pathways involved.
This programme builds on our previous work centred around a large group of patients from around the world who developed severe obesity as children and formed the basis for subsequent detailed studies on food intake and energy use. While humans will always be our experimental subject of choice, there are important mechanistic questions that require alternative approaches. We will use rodent models to explore aspects of disease processes that cannot be readily addressed in humans. Further, rodents have the advantage of being readily susceptible to genetic manipulation allowing precise alteration of specific genes and, importantly, creation of animal models of relevant, specific, human diseases.
Technical Summary
Obesity and its metabolic consequences are major threats to public health with an unmet need for improved therapy and prevention. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the control of human energy balance is essential to develop new treatments. By focusing upon a cohort of patients with severe early onset obesity, we have previously uncovered novel, highly penetrant alleles causing childhood obesity and gone on to establish the mechanisms of molecular dysfunction in many of these conditions.
Over this quinquennium our work on the biology of energy balance and its disorders will have three broad aims:
i) To continue to explore how human genetic variation that strongly predisposes to disorders of energy balance such as obesity exerts its effects at the molecular, cellular, organismal and human level and, where possible, to translate that knowledge into improved diagnosis or treatment
ii) To further understand how disruption of particular imprinted genes can lead to obesity phenotypes. This will include further exploration of the bi-stable, potentially stochastic pattern of obesity seen with loss of Nnat and the development of a murine model of PWS that exhibits hyperphagia and obesity
iii) To explore aspects of the basic biology underlying variation in leptin production and secretion, and to establish the extent to which a potentially clinically relevant phenotype of partial leptin deficiency might exist within the broader population of people with obesity
Over this quinquennium our work on the biology of energy balance and its disorders will have three broad aims:
i) To continue to explore how human genetic variation that strongly predisposes to disorders of energy balance such as obesity exerts its effects at the molecular, cellular, organismal and human level and, where possible, to translate that knowledge into improved diagnosis or treatment
ii) To further understand how disruption of particular imprinted genes can lead to obesity phenotypes. This will include further exploration of the bi-stable, potentially stochastic pattern of obesity seen with loss of Nnat and the development of a murine model of PWS that exhibits hyperphagia and obesity
iii) To explore aspects of the basic biology underlying variation in leptin production and secretion, and to establish the extent to which a potentially clinically relevant phenotype of partial leptin deficiency might exist within the broader population of people with obesity
Organisations
- University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- Imperial Cancer Research Fund (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Pfizer, United States (Collaboration)
- University of Ghent, Belgium (Collaboration)
- Rutgers University (Collaboration)
- Novo Nordisk Foundation (Collaboration)
- University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
Publications

Asami M
(2022)
Human embryonic genome activation initiates at the one-cell stage.
in Cell stem cell

Asami M
(2023)
A program of successive gene expression in mouse one-cell embryos.
in Cell reports


Cimino I
(2022)
The role of GDF15 in food intake and appetitive behaviour
in Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research

Cimino I
(2021)
Murine neuronatin deficiency is associated with a hypervariable food intake and bimodal obesity.
in Scientific reports

Cimino I
(2021)
Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by exogenous and endogenous GDF15
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Clement M
(2019)
Impaired Autophagy in CD11b+ Dendritic Cells Expands CD4+ Regulatory T Cells and Limits Atherosclerosis in Mice.
in Circulation research

Coll AP
(2020)
GDF15 mediates the effects of metformin on body weight and energy balance.
in Nature
Description | Mapping the human hindbrain using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and single-molecule fluorescent in-situ hybridization |
Amount | £418,268 (GBP) |
Organisation | Novo Nordisk |
Sector | Private |
Country | Denmark |
Start | 11/2021 |
End | 10/2023 |
Description | Mapping the human hypothalamic functional architecture underlying food intake control |
Amount | £625,065 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/S017593/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2019 |
End | 06/2022 |
Description | Molecular characterization in human neurons of genes associated with severe obesity identified from consanguineous pedigrees. |
Amount | £1,014,003 (GBP) |
Funding ID | MR/S026193/1 |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 09/2022 |
Description | Cancer Grand Challenge - ( CANcer Cachexia Action Network (CANCAN)) |
Organisation | Rutgers University |
Department | Rutgers Cancer Research Institute |
Country | United States |
Sector | Hospitals |
PI Contribution | In Collabroation with a broad internation team Lead by Professor White, we have s successfully submitted a workplan to study further the role of GDF15 and Mc3r in cancer cachexia. We also plan to pursue discovery proteomics and functional neuroimaging in patients with cachexia |
Collaborator Contribution | CANCAN has 3 PIs and 11 Co PIs that aim to develop mechanisticallt informed treatment for cancer cachexia. This brings together clinical and basic science leaders in cancer biology, metabolicm, nutrition, immunology, endocrinology, epidemiology and behaviour. |
Impact | non yer- funding to come on stream later sping 2022 |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | SOR - Bei Zhang and Kendra Bence, Pfizer Boston |
Organisation | Pfizer Global R & D |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Collaboration |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | SOR - Bristol MC4R |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Collaborative exchange |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaborative exchange |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | SOR - Ghent |
Organisation | University of Ghent |
Country | Belgium |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Collaboration |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | SOR - Novo |
Organisation | Novo Nordisk Foundation |
Country | Denmark |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Collaboration |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | collaboration with Anne White and team to understand role of hypthothalmic Agrp in development of glucocorticoid induced metabolic complications |
Organisation | University of Manchester |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | intellecula input into study design and data analysis |
Collaborator Contribution | funding and undertaking mouse work |
Impact | series of manuscripts published |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | collaboration with colleagues in CRUK to better define metabolic problems in pancreatic cancer |
Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | intellectual l input into the design and concepts of a clinical study to look to better characterise energy balance and hormoneal milieu in patients with pancreatic cancer |
Collaborator Contribution | study design and study delivery |
Impact | still undergoing set up and ethical review- likely to be active in 2020 |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | BBC2 programme 'Who Are You Calling Fat?' - Expert |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | In a 'fly on the wall' primetime programme on BBC2, nine people who live with obesity, or who choose to call themselves fat, move in together to explore what it means to be larger bodied in Britain today. I appeared on the second episode to offer my expert opinion on the role of genetics on obesity. 3 million live viewers |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009tvl |
Description | Genetics Society 2019 JBS Haldane Award Lecture |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This lecture 'Is Obesity A Choice?' took place at the Royal Institution in London on November 1, 2019. There were 300 people in the audience. The lecture was recorded and uploaded onto the Royal Institution YouTube Channel, where it has (as of Feb 27, 2020) been viewed 26,088 times. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88tWJ1p5d4o |
Description | Interview on BBC Radio 4's Life Scientific |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interviewed by Jim Al-Khalili about the powerful influence our genes have on how we put on weight, and why many of us struggle to lose it. This sparked a big response, including being contacted by Cambridge MP and shadow food minister Daniel Zeichner. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rmp5 |
Description | Interview on Scandinavian Talk Show 'Skavlan' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This was an interview on Scandinavia's largest talkshow 'Skavlan', which broadcasts to Sweden, Norway and Finland. Each episode has more than 2 million live viewers. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqXccq2jLkc |
Description | Invited Symposium Speaker, British Endocrine Society Annual Meeting, Edinburgh, Scotland November 8, 2021. Title 'Single-cell analysis and heterogeneity of hypothalamic neurons' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited Symposium Speaker, British Endocrine Society Annual Meeting, Edinburgh, Scotland November 8, 2021. Title 'Single-cell analysis and heterogeneity of hypothalamic neurons' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Invited Symposium Speaker, German Diabetes Association Annual Meeting May 14, 2021. Title 'Heterogeneity of hypothalamic POMC neurons' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited Symposium Speaker, German Diabetes Association Annual Meeting May 14, 2021. Title 'Heterogeneity of hypothalamic POMC neurons' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Neuronal Control of Metabolism symposium, 12th February 2020 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | outline of role of GDF15 in control of food intake and how this knowledge may affect drug design in the future |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Podcast 'Dr Giles Yeo Chews The Fat' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This was an 8 part podcast entitled 'Dr Giles Yeo Chews The Fat'. I dealt with multiple topics around obesity and other diet-related illnesses, by speaking with experts as well as some celebrities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://play.acast.com/s/dr-giles-yeo-chews-the-fat |
Description | SOR - Academy of Medical Sciences Fellows Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited by Regional Champion of Academy of Medical Sciences to give keynote lecture at Fellows' event which was combined with THIS (The Healthcare Improvement Studies) Institute in Cambridge. The event was an opportunity for early and mid career researchers to present their work and to network with the fellows and peers and bring the East Anglia fellows together. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - BBC News Health interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interviewed by Sophie Hutchinson, BBC News Health Correspondent about the impact of COVID-19 on obesity. She was reporting on the World Obesity Federation's study for the BBC TV 6 o'clock news which found almost 90% of covid deaths are in countries with high obesity rates. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | SOR - BBC Radio 4 interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Recorded interview for BBC Radio 4's Inside Science re Nature Medicine paper 'Loss-of-function mutations in the melanocortin 4 receptor in a UK birth cohort' (arranged by Deborah Cohen, Editor BBC Radio Science Unit (June 2021) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.endocrinology.org/news/article/16218/professor-stephen-o-rahilly-talks-about-obesity-gen... |
Description | SOR - BBC Radio 5 live |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | BBC Radio 5 Live interview with Adrian Chiles regarding Nature paper "MC3R links nutritional state to childhood growth and the timing of puberty" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59140359 |
Description | SOR - BBC Radio Cambridge interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interviewed live on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire by Chris Mann regarding obesity and COVID and to promote forthcoming University of Cambridge Science Festival talk on 31.3.21. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | SOR - BBC interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Phone interview with Katherine Roberts, Producer for TV/Radio/Online/Digital BBC News who was researching on the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccination on people who are classed as obese. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | SOR - BBCs |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Telephone interview with BBC (Philippa Roxby, Health Reporter) ahead of Nature paper being released 3.11.21 "MC3R links nutritional state to childhood growth and the timing of puberty" which led to BBC Radio 4 broadcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001154h (28 mins in). Also interviewed next day by Christian Frazer for BBC News Channel live regarding Nature paper. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59140359 |
Description | SOR - Brainbody interactions, USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited speaker at virtual seminar series on Brain-Body Interactions organised by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, USA run by brainbodyinteractions.org under the umbrella of worldwideneuro.com. Talk title 'Some new insights into the central sensing of nutritional state and somatic stress'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.brainbodyinteractions.org/ |
Description | SOR - CU Endo Soci |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited by Cambridge University Endocrine Society to give a lecture for medical students at their annual conference, lecture title "Adventures at the interface of endocrinology, metabolism and behaviour". |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | SOR - Cambridge Independent interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interviewed by Alex Spencer, Culture Editor and Senior Reporter, from Cambridge Independent for forthcoming University of Cambridge Science Festival talk on 31.3.21. Article published March 2021. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/whats-on/why-obesity-makes-covid-19-more-dangerous-and-what-y... |
Description | SOR - Cambridge Metabolic Network event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited speaker at Cambridge Metabolic Network event 'Deep history of obesity, Cambridge University (talk title 'Obesity and COVID19') |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | SOR - EMBO Basel Life mtg, Switzerland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited to speak at EMBO Basel Life meeting on "Molecules in Biology and Medicine". A new EMBO meeting which is intended to combine general and medical biology. This meeting is a joint initiative of EMBO and a newly founded, not-for-profit organization, the European Association for Life Sciences. The scientific advisory committee envisions a top level, broad scope meeting and aims to establish it as one of the premier meetings in the life sciences. The meeting was held in conjunction with Basel Life Science Week. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - Helmholtz conference, Munich (2018) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Plenary speaker at 6th annual Helmholtz Diabetes Conference, Munich. Helmholtz Zentrum München and Nature Medicine have combined forces to organize this annual high-impact conference series now for the sixth time. At this meeting, international top scientists interact to facilitate the identification of, and potential solutions to, the preeminent scientific challenges facing the prevention and treatment of diabetes. For this 6th conference, the main focus will be on the role of the brain in metabolic control. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.hd-conference.com/about-the-conference/index.html |
Description | SOR - ICE Cape Town |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Plenary speaker at International Congress of Endocrinology (ICE), Cape Town, South Africa which was held in conjunction with SEMDSA, the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of Southern Africa. ICE is the premier global scientific gathering for endocrinology. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.ice2018.org/ |
Description | SOR - Illinois talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited guest speaker at the Molecular and Integrative Physiology seminar series at the University of Illinois, USA (held virtually), talk title "The central control of energy balance and nutrient disposition and its response to endocrine signals" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | SOR - Italian Debate for Endocrinology Experts (IDEE), Rome |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited to give plenary lecture given involvement with 100K Genomes UK project at "Italian Debate for Endocrinology Experts 2018" meeting in Rome for Italian delegates. All speakers international. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - MTB Zurich |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited as keynote speaker to give a talk at the annual retreat of the PhD Programme in Molecular and Translational Biomedicine (MTB), University of Zurich, Switzerland |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited by Science and Technology Committee of the The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, which was founded in 1781, to give a talk. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.manlitphil.ac.uk |
Description | SOR - Medical Alumni Biennial Lecture, St Andrews |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited guest speaker at Medical Alumni Biennial Lecture at University of St Andrews, Fife |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - Milner Therapeutics Symposium |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited speaker at Milner Therapeutics Symposium which is a one day event, with speakers from Academia and Pharma/Biotech. #MilnerSymp18 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - NBC news interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Request was: I am currently researching for a TV report about the links between obesity and COVID-19. This is prompted by a recent study from Italy in the European Society of Endocrinology, suggesting that people with a BMI of over 30 are at a greater risk of severe COVID-19 infection. There seems to be a renewed discussion for a "weight-loss drive" in anticipation of second wave of coronavirus later in the year, and we are keen to delve further into this. The report itself will be for our U.S. output. I was wondering if you might be available to speak to us about your understanding of the links between obesity and COVID-19, initially for a research call, but with the view of arranging a video interview? We are keen to learn more from your expertise on this subject. Talk did not go live but was used for research purposes. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | SOR - NIH OxCam Workshop, Cambridge |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited to give keynote talk at the annual NIH OxCam Workshop held at Homerton College, Cambridge - a 3 day meeting that brings together supervisors and students from the NIH-OxCam PhD programme. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - NOVA filming |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Filming at PBS/NOVA in Boston, USA. Documentary on the science of fat and obesity. Due to air on US TV as "The truth about fat" on 8.4.2020. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | SOR - Oxford Metabolic Health symposium, Oxford |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited to give keynote talk at Oxford Metabolic Health's inaugural symposium - a new cross-divisional and interdepartmental initiative at the University of Oxford that aims to bring together researchers with an interest in metabolism in its broadest sense, encourage interaction and exchange of ideas, and identify new strategic opportunities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - RTE radio interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | RTE Radio 1 Drivetime live interview regarding Nature paper 'MC3R links nutritional state to childhood growth and the timing of puberty' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/drivetime/programmes/2021/1104/1257981-drivetime-thursday-4-november... |
Description | SOR - RTE radio interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | RTE Radio 1 Interview and quoted in various media outlets including BBC on the trial of drug semaglutide suppressing appetite |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | SOR - SGC TEP Symposium, Oxford |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited to give keynote lecture at SGC (Structural Genomics Consortium) University of Oxford TEP 2018 Symposium on 'Exploiting disease genomics to catalyse new medicines'- serving as an opportunity to bring together collaborators, funders, and partners alike to share the vision of the TEP concept for drug discovery. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.thesgc.org/tep-symposium-2018 |
Description | SOR - Science Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gave a talk at University of Cambridge Science Festival talk (virtual) on "Why does obesity make Covid-19 more dangerous?" followed by live Q&A session |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | SOR - Science Festival talk March 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk entitled 'Science of Fat' given at Peterhouse College, Cambridge as part of the Cambridge Science Festival |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - Science Media Centre |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Science Media Centre briefing by experts on COVID19 to ~30 journalists including BBC, Channel 4 News, Guardian, BMJ. SOR participated with 5 other experts. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54648684 |
Description | SOR - Science interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Science interview by Reporter from Science Magazine, Washington DC working on a news article exploring why obese people are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 (contacted following Perspective in CellPress/Med) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | SOR - Scientific American magazine |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Science journal interview by email by Egyptian journalist writing an article for the Arabic edition of Scientific American magazine https://www.scientificamerican.com/arabic/ on COVID19 and obesity. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | SOR - Sick Film |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Filming of Sick Film (hyperemesis gravidarum) for production company Good Guys Productions Ltd - filming intended for conferences, training, etc and potentially for use as part of TV production. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | SOR - SpR training, Addenbrooke's Hospital |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk for Regional SpR diabetes and endocrine training day, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - TV (BBC Look east) interview May 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interviewed in relation to research on hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) - was shown on BBC Look East and the interview was syndicated across BBC news and used on radio |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | SOR - Talk at Harvard Medical School, USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited speaker at Dr Jeffrey Flier's 70th symposium at Harvard Medical School, USA. Dr Flier was 21st Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard University for 9 years. He is also an endocrinologist and an authority on the molecular causes of obesity and diabetes and previously served as Harvard Medical School Faculty Dean for Academic Programs and Chief Academic Officer for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard teaching affiliate. He is one of the country's leading investigators in the areas of obesity and diabetes. His research has produced major insights into the molecular mechanism of insulin action, the molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance in human disease, and the molecular pathophysiology of obesity. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - Times interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview with Rhys Blakely, Times Science Correspondent re Nature Medicine paper 'Loss-of-function mutations in the melanocortin 4 receptor in a UK birth cohort' (May 2021) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/200-000-britons-have-appetite-gene-that-adds-two-stone-28z5hpmn3 |
Description | SOR - US MedPage Today |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Telephone interview with MedPage Today, a US news site that covers health and medicine, regarding Nature paper 'MC3R links nutritional state to childhood growth and the timing of puberty' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | SOR - WT Researcher meeting, Hinxton |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Annual presentation of work undertaken as a Wellcome Trust funding holder |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR - Washington Post interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Email interview/media enquiry by freelance reporter for Washington Post, published online on 24.8.20 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/obesity-coronavirus-risk-lose-weight/2020/08/21/1de03bbc-e187-... |
Description | SOR - iBiology talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Recording talks for iBiology (www.ibiology.org), a science communication project funded by NSF/NIH and supported by the Lasker Foundation, EMBO and HHMI (recorded locally at Cambridge TV). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.ibiology.org/human-disease/obesity/ |
Description | SOR - radio Europe interview Apr 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview on Talk Radio Europe Lifestyle Show about lipodystrophy |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SOR 61st Annual meeting of German Endocrine Society, Bonn, Germany |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gave plenary lecture |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.dge2018.de/programm.html |
Description | SOR Cambridge Science Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gave a talk 'Science of fat' at the annual Cambridge Science Festival |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk/ |
Description | SOR Life Sciences Seminar Series, University in Brno, Czech Republic |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited to give a talk in the Life Sciences Seminar Series in Masaryk, University in Brno, Czech Republic |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | University of Toronto, City-wide Grand Rounds April 23, 2021. Title 'The brain control of food intake: Can an old dog teach us new tricks?' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | University of Toronto, City-wide Grand Rounds April 23, 2021. Title 'The brain control of food intake: Can an old dog teach us new tricks?' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Virtual Royal Institution Talk 'How we got the science of weight loss wrong' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This was a virtual talk 'at' the Royal Institution, entitled 'How we got the science of weight loss wrong'. It was given live, but then also recorded and uploaded onto the Royal Institution YouTube channel. It has since accrued 750K views. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQJ0Z0DRumg |
Description | innvited talk to Diabetes UK annual professional conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | able to share our data with colleagues and clinicians from across the UK |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | seminar to Institute of Metabolic Science in Aberdeen |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | engaged with scientists in another centre of metabolic excellence to share ideas around common research interests |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |