# Brain Inhibition Control and Child Obesity Risk

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2021 · $123,750

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Childhood obesity rate has been increasing dramatically, at great cost for health care and wellbeing. It
is highly likely that obesity will persist into adulthood; thus, identifying risk factors contributing to childhood
obesity is extremely critical so that prevention strategies can be taken early to reduce the obesity rate.
Research suggests that children who were exposed to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in utero have
increased propensity of developing obesity. However, there are few human studies aimed to understand the
mechanisms explaining this relationship. The primary goal of the applicant’s K01 project was to investigate
associations between GDM exposure and brain pathways implicated in appetite regulation, particularly
metabolic and reward pathways. The overall goal of this R03 project is to extend findings from the
applicant’s ongoing K01 study to test a hypothesis that in utero exposure to GDM may disrupt the
prefrontal inhibition control circuitry, resulting in overeating and obesity. To accomplish this goal, the
applicant and her team plan to leverage brain and adiposity data available through the Adolescent Brain
Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, and 1) investigate relationships between GDM exposure and
functional/structural correlates of inhibition control; and 2) use brain-based markers to predict changes in
adiposity. This will be the largest study in humans to use multi-modal imaging techniques to examine neural
mechanisms of the link between GDM exposure and obesity risk.
 The proposed study is an extension of the applicant’s K01 project, together by which will allow the
candidate to have a comprehensive assessment of brain circuitry involved in appetite regulation and establish
a brain-based working model explaining increased obesity risk among children exposed to GDM in utero.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10271122
- **Project number:** 1R03DK129186-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Shan Luo
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $123,750
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10271122

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10271122, Brain Inhibition Control and Child Obesity Risk (1R03DK129186-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10271122. Licensed CC0.

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