Research Vision
Our goal is to develop new treatments for people living with severe obesity by delivering a step-change in our understanding of the control of human energy balance.
Severe Childhood Obesity
We have shown that mutations disrupting the hormone leptin and its downstream neural targets cause hyperphagia and severe childhood obesity. With the help of many international collaborators, we have recruited over 7000 people with severe childhood onset obesity to the Genetics of Obesity Study (GOOS). We identify networks of genes and the molecular mechanisms they perturb and undertake physiological studies to determine how these molecules affect eating behaviour and energy expenditure. In this work, we benefit hugely from the Translational Research Facility (TRF) LINK to TRF page once live on our website
Thinness
We are also interested in understanding how and why some people remain thin in an obesogenic environment. Thinness (BMI<18kg/m2) is as heritable as severe obesity. We have recruited a UK cohort of 4000 thin people (STILTS cohort) in whom we are undertaking genetic and physiological studies.
Translational Research
We have developed new diagnostics for a range of obesity syndromes and an NHS Obesity Gene Panel is now available for use by Physicians in the UK. We treat patients with congenital leptin deficiency from around the world. We are running clinical trials administering Setmelanotide (a melanocortin 4 receptor agonist) in patients with several genetic obesity syndromes and work with other companies in drug discovery and trials.
Secretary
Ms Jacqui Brocker - jb682 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
The Society for Endocrinology awarded Ming Lin, who was a visiting student with the Farooqi group for summer 2024, with a Society for Endocrinology Teaching Grant.
Group Members
Dr Rebecca Bounds, Senior Research Co-ordinator - rb620 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Dr Julia Calvo Latorre, Clinical Research Associate - jc2294 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Mrs Elana Henning, Senior Research Nurse - eh330 at cam.ac.uk
Dr Isabel Huang-Doran, Wellcome Clinical Career Development Fellow - ih240 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Dr Katherine Lawler, Postdoctoral Research Associate - kl229 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Dr Robert Legg, Clinical Fellow in Genetics - rgl28 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Dr Kevin Manuel Mendez Acevedo, Postdoctoral Research Associate - Kmm87 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Mrs Angela Reynolds, Data Manager - ar722 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Dr Dinesh Shah, Postdoctoral Research Associate - dss57 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Miss Lynne Stanley, Research Study Coordinator - ls824 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Dr Agatha Van der Klaauw, Senior Clinical Research Associate - av330 at medschl.cam.ac.uk
Funding
NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre
NIHR Senior Investigator Award
Bernard Wolfe Endowment
