Appetite Lab Projects
Current projects:
Neural and behavioral mechanisms of obesity development from infancy through childhood (R01DK136602, Carnell Contact PI)
This project aims to test whether development within brain appetite circuits from infancy to 6y is associated with brain, eating behavior and weight outcomes in middle childhood, and partly mediates the effects of prenatal and genetic risk factors as well as postnatal protective factors on middle childhood outcomes.
Early brain development and childhood obesity (R01DK113286, Carnell MPI)
The goal of this project is to test whether genetic and early pre and post-natal environmental conditions affect child eating behaviors and weight outcomes by altering patterns of brain development.
Assessing the evolving impact of early life exposures on child physical health and neurodevelopment (UG3OD023313, Carnell Co-I)
This project aims to test a central hypothesis that that child neurodevelopment is an integrative process that is shaped by the dynamic interaction of pre-and postnatal exposures, co-developing child physical health (asthma and obesity), and environmental moderators that act at the child, family, and neighborhood levels.
Impact of hypothalamic gliosis on appetite regulation and obesity risk in children (R01DK117623, Carnell Co-I)
This is a multi-site longitudinal cohort study to investigate whether hypothalamic gliosis is associated with intake regulation and/or altered brain responses to food stimuli in children.
Complete Projects:
The developing brain: Influences and outcomes (UG3OD023313, Carnell Co-I)
This project aims to investigate how brain growth is altered by specific pre- and post-natal environmental or genetic factors, and how patterns of brain growth are associated with emerging cognitive and behavioral abilities.
A study of tirzepatide in overweight and very overweight participants (Carnell Site PI)
The purpose of this study is to measure the effect of tirzepatide on food intake in participants who are overweight or very overweight. The study uses MRI to learn more about how tirzepatide affects specific parts of the brain. The effect of tirzepatide on appetite will also be studied. The study lasts up to four months and includes up to 14 visits to the study center.
Neural mechanisms of appetite dysregulation in Anorexia Nervosa: The role of AGRP (Klarman Family Foundation, Carnell Co-I)
The goal of this project is to investigate the role of neural mechanisms that affect food intake, specifically those mediated by agouti-related peptide (AgRP), in Anorexia Nervosa.
Publications
For a full list of publications click here.
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Kininmoth A, Smith A, Carnell S, Steinsbekk S, Fildes A & Llewellyn C (2021) The association between childhood adiposity and appetite assessed using the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire and Baby Eating Behavior Questionnaire: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. May;22(5):e13169. doi: 10.1111/obr.13169. PMID: 332554425. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33554425/
Carnell S, Pryor K, Mais LA, Warkentin S, Benson L & Cheng R (2016) Lunch-time food choices in preschoolers: Relationships between absolute and relative intakes of different food categories, and appetitive characteristics and weight. Physiology & behavior, 162, 151-160. PMID: 27039281, PMCID: PMC4899113.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27039281Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Johnson L, Carnell S & Wardle J (2011) Development and factor structure of the Baby Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Appetite, 57, 388-396. PMID: 21672566.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21672566Carnell S & Wardle J (2008) Appetite and adiposity in children: evidence for a behavioral susceptibility model of obesity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 88, 22-29. PMID: 18614720.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18614720Carnell S & Wardle J (2007) Measuring behavioural susceptibility to obesity: validation of the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Appetite, 48, 104-113. PMID: 16962207 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16962207
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Chen L*, Thapaliya G*, Papantoni A, Benson L & Carnell S (2023) Neural correlates of appetitive characteristics in youth. Appetite. 2023 Oct 6:107076. PMID: 37806450
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37806450/
Thapaliya G, Kundu P, Jansen E, Naymik M, Lee R, Bruchhage M, D’Sa V, Huentelman M, Lewis CR, Muller HG, Deoni S, RESONANCE CONSORTIUM & Carnell S (2023) FTO variation and early frontostriatal brain development in children. Obesity. 2023 Oct 10 doi: 10.1002/oby.23926 PMID: 37817330
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37817330/Thapaliya G, Chen L, Jansen E, Smith KR, Sadler JR, Benson L, Papantoni A & Carnell S (2020) Familial obesity risk and current excess weight influence brain structure in adolescents. Obesity. 2020 Dec 5. Doi: 10.1002/oby.23042. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33280265.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33280265/Smith KR, Papantoni A, Veldhuizen MG, Kamath V, Harris C, Moran TH, Carnell S & Steele KE (2020). Taste-related reward is associated with weight loss following bariatric surgery. J Clin Invest. 13 Jul 2020:137772, DOI: 10.1172/JCI137772. PubMed PMID: 32427574.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32427574Carnell S, Benson L, Chang K, Wang Z, Huo Y, Geliebter A & Peterson BS (2017) Neural correlates of familial obesity risk and overweight in adolescence. Neuroimage, 159, 236-247. PMID: 28754348, PMCID: PMC5671352.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28754348 -
Portella AK*, Papantoni A*, Paquet C, Moore S, Rosch K, Mostofsky S, Lee R, Levitan R, Silveira PP, Carnell S* & Dube, L* (2020) Predicted DRD4 prefrontal gene expression moderates snack intake and stress perception in response to the environment in adolescents. PloS One. PMID: 24153108, PMCID: PMC3872500.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24153108Selzam S, McAdams TA, Coleman JRI, Carnell S, O’Reilly PF, Plomin R & Llewellyn CH (2018) Evidence for gene-environment correlation in child feeding: Links between common genetic variation for BMI in children and parental feeding practices. PloS Genetics, 14(11), e1007757 PMID: 30457987, PMCID: PMC6245504. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30457987
Llewellyn C, van Jaarsveld CHM, Johnson L, Carnell S & Wardle J (2010) Nature and nurture in infant appetite. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91, 1172-1179. PMID: 20335548.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20335548Wardle J, Carnell S, Haworth CMA, Farooqi IS, O’Rahilly S & Plomin R (2008) Obesity-associated genetic variation in FTO is associated with diminished satiety. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 93, 3640-3643. PMID: 18583465.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18583465Carnell S, Haworth CMA, Plomin R & Wardle J (2008) Genetic influence on appetite in children. International Journal of Obesity, 32, 1468-1473. PMID: 18679413. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18679413
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Jansen E, Thapaliya G, Aghababian A, Sadler JR, Smith KR & Carnell S (2021) Parental stress, food parenting practices and child snack intake during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appetite. Jun 1;161:105119. Doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105119. PMID: 33450298.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33450298/Warkentin S, Mais LA, Ranganath K, Jansen E & Carnell S (2020) Controlling and less controlling feeding practices are differentially associated with child food intake and appetitive behaviors assessed in a school environment. Pediatric Obesity. DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12714. PMID: 32893452.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32893452Mais LA, Warkentin S, Vega JB, Latorre MDRDO, Carnell S & Taddei JAAC (2018). Sociodemographic, anthropometric and behavioural risk factors for ultra-processed food consumption in a sample of 2-9 year olds in Brazil. Public Health Nutrition. 21(1), 77-86. PMID: 28988543.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28988543Dinkevich E, Leid L, Pryor K, Wei Y, Huberman H & Carnell S (2015) Mothers’ feeding behaviors in infancy: do they predict child weight trajectories? Obesity, Epub Nov 5. PMID: 26537027, PMCID: PMC4701590.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26537027Carnell S, Benson L, Driggin E & Kolbe L (2014) Parent feeding behavior and child appetite: Associations depend on feeding style. International Journal of Eating Disorders, Epub Jun 27. PMID 24976396, PMCID: PMC4211951.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24976396 -
Smith KR, Jansen E, Thapaliya G, Aghababian AH, Chen L, Sadler JR & Carnell S (2021) The influence of COVID-19-related stress on food motivation. Appetite. PMID: 33819527, DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105233.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33819527/Sadler JR, Thapaliya G, Jansen E, Aghababian AH, Smith KR & Carnell S (2021) COVID-19 stress and food intake: protective and risk factors for stress-related palatable food intake in U.S. adults. Nutrients. PMID: 33802066, PMCID: PMC8000206, DOI: 10.3390/nu13030901.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33802066/Carnell S, Grillot C, Ungredda T, Ellis S, Mehta N, Holst J & Geliebter A (2018). Morning and afternoon appetite and gut hormone responses to meal and stress challenges in obese individuals with and without binge eating disorder. International Journal of Obesity, 42(4), 841. PMID: 29235554.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29235554Geliebter A, Carnell S & Gluck ME (2012) Cortisol and ghrelin concentrations following a cold pressor test in overweight individuals with and without Night Eating. International Journal of Obesity, 37(8):1104-1108. PMID: 23247680, PMCID: PMC3610846.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23247680 -
Aagard A, Barkin SL, Burant C, Carnell S, Demerath E, Donovan SM, Enelia I, Francis LA, Gilbert-Diamond D, Hivert M-F, LeBourgeois MK, Miller AL, Okely AD, Osganian SK, Ramirez AG, Transande L, Van Horn LB, Wake W, Wright RJ, Yanovski SZ (2024) Understanding risk and causal mechanisms for developing obesity in infants and young children: A National Institutes of Health workshop. Obesity Reviews. 2024 Jan 11:e13690. PMID: 38204366.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38204366/
Sadler JR*, Thapaliya G*, Ranganath K, Gabay A, Chen L, Smith KR, Osario R, Convit A & Carnell S (2023) Pediatric obesity and metabolic syndrome associations with cognition and the brain in youth: Current evidence and future directions. Pediatric Obesity. 2023 May 18:e13042. PMID: 37202148.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37202148/Carnell S, Thapaliya G, Jansen E & Chen L (2023) Biobehavioral susceptibility for obesity in childhood: behavioral, genetic and neuroimaging studies of appetite. Physiology & Behavior. 2023 Nov 1:271:114313. PMID: 37544571.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37544571/
Thapaliya G, Sadler JR, Jansen E, Carnell S (2021) Obesity and Appetite: Evidence for a Neurobehavioural model of Obesity Risk and Maintenance, Reference module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology, Encyclopedia of Behavioural Neuroscience, Second edition, Ed. Sergio Della Sala; Elsevier.
Carnell S, Gibson C, Benson L, Ochner C & Geliebter A (2012) Neuroimaging and obesity: current knowledge and future directions. Obesity Reviews, 13, 43-56. PMID: 21902800, PMCID: PMC3241905.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21902800
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- Kudos to Gita Thapaliya and other Appetite lab co-authors on the publication of our paper on genetic obesity risk and early frontostriatal development in Obesity!
- Kudos to Appetite lab members Liuyi Chen and Gita Thapaliya on the publication of our paper on neural correlates of appetite in adolescents in Appetite!
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- Kudos to the Appetite team for the publication of our new review paper on biobehavioral susceptibility for obesity in childhood in Physiology and Behavior!
- Kudos to Appetite lab member Gita Thapaliya on the acceptance of our manuscript on genetic obesity risk and early frontostriatal development by Obesity! Look out for Gita’s presentation of these findings at Obesity Week, Dallas TX 2023.
- Kudos to Appetite Lab member Elena Jansen on the publication of our paper on gene-environment correlation in parent feeding in the RESONANCE cohort!
- Kudos to former Appetite Lab post-doc Jenny Sadler and current Appetite lab post-doc Gita Thapaliya on the publication of our review paper on associations of pediatric obesity and metabolic syndrome with cognition and the brain in youth!
- Kudos to Appetite Lab member Elena Jansen on the publication of our paper on development of appetite in the RESONANCE cohort!
- Kudos to Elena Jansen for winning an award from the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity for her abstract ‘Parent-reported child appetite moderates relationships between child genetic obesity risk and parental feeding response’!
- Kudos to Appetite Lab post-doc Gita Thapaliya for publishing her paper on shared and distinct neurobehavioral phenotypes for child ADHD and obesity!
- Kudos to Elena Jansen for winning an award from the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity for her abstract ‘Parent-reported child appetite moderates relationships between child genetic obesity risk and parental feeding response’!
- Kudos to Appetite lab student intern Daisy Zhou for winning a Summer PURA (Provost’s Undergraduate Research Award) to study the role of the cerebellum in emotional eating!
- Kudos to Appetite Lab post-doc Elena Jansen for winning a Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Research Accelerator award for her project to characterize father-child feeding interactions during and before the COVID pandemic, and examine their relationships with child eating behaviors and overweight!
- Kudos to Appetite Lab post-doc Gita Thapaliya for having her abstract on differences in brain structure in children with the FTO obesity risk allele accepted as a poster for the 54th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology!
- Kudos to Appetite Lab student Sayo for being accepted into the JH Bloomberg School of Public Health masters program in Health Policy!
- Kudos to first author Andre Portella and our other collaborators at McGill for having our paper on effects of DRD4 expression in the prefrontal cortex on neural responses to food cues in adolescent girls and boys accepted by Scientific Reports!
- Kudos to former lab members Cece Gu and Sarah Warkentin and current post-doc Elena Jansen for having our paper on effects of acculturation on parent feeding style and parenting style accepted by Appetite!
- Kudos to Appetite Lab post-doc Jenny Sadler and other authors for having our paper ‘Is obesity in the brain…’ accepted by Pediatric Obesity!