Brain cellular regulation of body weight

People with an elevated body mass are at higher risks of cardiometabolic diseases. The prevalence of people living with an elevated body mass has tripled in the last 40 years and this increase shows no sign of slowing down. Interventions targeting caloric restriction fail to lead to sustainable weight loss in the vast majority of cases. A more promising avenue for weight loss exploits the brain satiety mechanisms. For example, all pharmacological therapies effective in weight loss target the brain mechanisms of satiety.
By analyzing the genomes of over 800,000 people of European descent, our project aims to identify genes expressed by cells in the brain that could influence body weight. By doing so, we hope to pinpoint the genes that influence body weight, the brain cells in which they act, as well as the direction of the effect. For example, we could find that a particular gene promotes mass gain when overexpressed in neurons. This type of information is crucial to better understand the mechanisms of chronic weight gain. Alternatively, this project could also help identify molecular targets to help in preventing weight gain and promoting weight maintenance or weight loss.

Faculty Supervisor:

Benoit Arsenault

Student:

Partner:

Imperial College London

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Université Laval

Program: