This K23 award will allow Dr. Schur to become an independent investigator proficient in the design and conduct of interdisciplinary research on eating behavior and weight regulation. The training and research activities focus on complex environmental and genetic influences on eating habits and appetite regulation. The application proposes an intensive, 5-year program of mentored research and formal training activities to enhance Dr. Schur's skills and experience in: 1) clinical research methods and biostatistics, 2) eating behavior research, 3) physiology of appetite-regulation hormones and 4) twin research methods. In the long term, Dr. Schur will apply these skills to study the development and prevention of obesity. The research component of this career development award targets an aspect of abnormal eating behavior that has been described primarily as a psychological phenomenon. Restrained eaters are chronic dieters, some of whom are also prone to overeating. In experimental conditions, restrained eaters overeat after a high-calorie preload, such as a milkshake, whereas unrestrained eaters do not. This has been presumed to be a purely psychological effect, but physiological and genetic factors have not been investigated. Using the population-based University of Washington Twin Registry, the specific aims are to: 1) establish the genetic vs. environmental influences of restrained eating, 2) investigate the role of appetite-regulating hormones in the abnormal eating behaviors of restrained eaters and 3) compare brain activation in response to a high-calorie preload between restrained and unrestrained eaters.
Specific Aim 1 will be addressed with a classical twin study and Specific Aims 2 and 3 will use with a co-twin control design. This project will establish a pathway for Dr. Schur's future investigations and hopefully benefit clinicians and researchers seeking to understand overeating behavior. The University of Washington is an exceptional environment for Dr. Schur to gain the skills needed to achieve her goals. The training component uses academic resources including the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition and Department of Radiology. Dr. Schur's sponsor and mentors are highly regarded and respected scientists. Her research also will benefit from access to NIH-funded research centers such as the General Clinical Research Center.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23DK070826-05
Application #
7623207
Study Section
Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases B Subcommittee (DDK)
Program Officer
Podskalny, Judith M,
Project Start
2005-06-15
Project End
2010-05-31
Budget Start
2009-06-01
Budget End
2010-05-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$125,481
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Melhorn, Susan J; Tyagi, Vidhi; Smeraglio, Anne et al. (2014) Initial evidence that GLP-1 receptor blockade fails to suppress postprandial satiety or promote food intake in humans. Appetite 82:85-90
Myhre, Rachel; Kratz, Mario; Goldberg, Jack et al. (2014) A twin study of differences in the response of plasma ghrelin to a milkshake preload in restrained eaters. Physiol Behav 129:50-6
Enriquez, Erin; Duncan, Glen E; Schur, Ellen A (2013) Age at dieting onset, body mass index, and dieting practices. A twin study. Appetite 71:301-6
Schur, Ellen; Godfrey, Kathryn M; Dansie, Elizabeth et al. (2013) Can familial factors account for the association of body mass index with poor mental health in men or women? Gen Hosp Psychiatry 35:502-7
Roth, Christian L; Aylward, Elizabeth; Liang, Olivia et al. (2012) Functional neuroimaging in craniopharyngioma: a useful tool to better understand hypothalamic obesity? Obes Facts 5:243-53
Schur, Ellen A; Kleinhans, Natalia M; Goldberg, Jack et al. (2012) Acquired differences in brain responses among monozygotic twins discordant for restrained eating. Physiol Behav 105:560-7
Wright, Lisa Johnson; Schur, Ellen; Noonan, Carolyn et al. (2010) Chronic pain, overweight, and obesity: findings from a community-based twin registry. J Pain 11:628-35
Afari, Niloofar; Noonan, Carolyn; Goldberg, Jack et al. (2010) Depression and obesity: do shared genes explain the relationship? Depress Anxiety 27:799-806
Schur, Ellen A; Heckbert, Susan R; Goldberg, Jack H (2010) The association of restrained eating with weight change over time in a community-based sample of twins. Obesity (Silver Spring) 18:1146-52
Schur, E A; Kleinhans, N M; Goldberg, J et al. (2009) Activation in brain energy regulation and reward centers by food cues varies with choice of visual stimulus. Int J Obes (Lond) 33:653-61

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