NIH R01: Improving Muscle Function in Older Adults with Obesity

Candida J. Rebello, PhD, RD, LDN, FTOS

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Dr. Candida J. Rebello is an Assistant Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Director of the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Laboratory. Her research focuses on developing sustainable, evidence-based lifestyle interventions to treat obesity, improve insulin sensitivity, and prevent age-related functional decline.

She is the recipient of a $3.7 million NIH R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging to investigate lifestyle strategies that reduce excess body fat while preserving muscle function in older adults with obesity. Her work bridges clinical nutrition and translational science, focusing on improving metabolic health and quality of life in aging populations.

Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome

Brendon Neuen, MBBS (Hons), MSc (Oxon), PhD, FRACP, FASN

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Associate Professor Brendon Neuen is Program Lead for Renal and Metabolic Health at The George Institute for Global Health and a Staff Specialist Nephrologist and Director of Kidney Trials at Royal North Shore Hospital. He is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and a Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney. Dr. Neuen earned his MBBS with First Class Honors and an Academic Medal from James Cook University, an MSc from the University of Oxford, and a PhD from UNSW, and completed postdoctoral training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

An internationally recognized expert in cardio-kidney-metabolic health, Dr. Neuen serves as Co-Chair of the SGLT2 Inhibitor Meta-Analysis Cardio-Renal Trialists’ Consortium. His research has informed more than 30 international clinical guidelines, including KDIGO and ADA Standards of Care. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and serves on multiple editorial boards.

This session is supported via an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

2025 ObesityWeek® Lightning Talk Winners

Hoang Van M. Nguyen, Lila Dabill, & Hamlet Gasoyan

Thursday, February 26, 2026

The February Coffee with the Expert session features the 2025 ObesityWeek Lightning Talk Winners, recognizing outstanding early-career investigators selected from 11 top-scoring abstracts presented during the Early-Career Professional Committee’s Lightning Talk session at ObesityWeek 2025.

The top three finalists include:

• 1st Place: Hoang Van M. Nguyen, PhD
Physical Activity is Associated with Decreased Biological Age in a Behavioral Weight Loss Trial
• 2nd Place: Lila Dabill Neural Sarm1 Knockout Limits Obesity and Improves Metabolic Health with Enhanced Benefits in Females
• 3rd Place: Hamlet Gasoyan, PhD
, Reasons for Discontinuation of Semaglutide or Tirzepatide for Obesity in Clinical Practice

This session highlights innovative research across basic, clinical, and population sciences and reflects TOS’s continued commitment to supporting early-career investigators and advancing obesity research.

Molecular Biology

Sepideh Sheybani-Deloui, PhD

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Sepideh Sheybani-Deloui, PhD, is a recipient of the Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award, which recognizes excellence in obesity research by early-career investigators. She was selected as a finalist based on her abstract, “Gastric Mucosal Response to Caloric Restriction and High-Fat Diet: Protective Role of Depp1,” and was named the Basic Science award recipient following her oral presentation at ObesityWeek®.

Sepideh earned her Honors Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from the University of Toronto, followed by a Master of Science in Physiology and a PhD in Molecular Genetics. Her research integrates molecular genetics, developmental biology, and single-cell multiomic approaches to better understand neuroglial and gastrointestinal mechanisms underlying obesity and metabolic regulation. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow studying the role of the ghrelin system in eating disorders, mood, and addiction.

During the Coffee with the Expert session, Sepideh will expand on her award-winning research and discuss its broader implications for obesity science and metabolic health.

Obesity Medicine

Louis J. Aronne, MD

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Dr. Louis J. Aronne, MD, FACP, is a leading expert in obesity treatment and the Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research at Weill-Cornell Medical College. He directs the Comprehensive Weight Control Center and is a founder and Chief Scientific Advisor to FlyteHealth. A former president of The Obesity Society and Chair Emeritus of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, Dr. Aronne has authored over 150 publications and helped develop the NIH’s Practical Guide to Obesity Treatment. He has received multiple teaching awards and contributed to the VA’s MOVE program. Dr. Aronne earned his BS from Trinity College, MD from Johns Hopkins, and completed training at Albert Einstein and Cornell. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and has been recognized on “Best Doctors” lists for over 20 years.

Cardiometabolic Diseases

Bharath Mani, DVM, PhD

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Bharath Mani, PhD, is a Scientific Director at Novo Nordisk, based in Lexington, MA. He brings extensive experience in biomedical research and drug development, having held previous roles at Novo Nordisk, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Mani earned his PhD in Pharmacology from Loyola University Chicago (2006–2012), where he developed a strong foundation in laboratory science and translational research.

His expertise spans a wide range of scientific disciplines, including cell biology, electrophysiology, ELISA, and in vivo experimentation. Dr. Mani is recognized for his contributions to advancing scientific understanding in metabolic and pharmacological research and continues to play a key role in driving innovation at Novo Nordisk.

Pediatrics-Nutrition

Darleen Sandoval, PhD

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Dr. Sandoval is a professor of pediatrics and medicine in nutrition and endocrinology at CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Sandoval earned her Ph.D. in Exercise Science from Arizona State University and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Endocrinology at Vanderbilt. Dr. Sandoval studies the gut-brain axis in metabolism regulation. There are two main topics in her work. One examines how the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) affects glucose homeostasis and how GLP-1 dysregulation causes type 2 diabetes. The other studies how bariatric surgery affects physiology and its success mechanisms. With NIH and American Diabetes Association funding, she has over 100 papers on this topic. As co-founder and co-chair of the American Diabetes Association Women’s Interprofessional Network, Dr. Sandoval has worked hard for diversity and inclusion. She recently co-chaired the American Heart Association’s Signaling 2 Fellowship Peer Review Committee and is a permanent NIDDK-C study section member.

NORC Inspire

Mabel Toribio, MD, and Sara E. Dolan Looby, PhD

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Dr. Mabel Toribio is a clinical investigator at the Massachusetts General Hospital Metabolism Unit and Director of Transgender Health Research. Her work focuses on neuroendocrine and metabolism disorders, including gender-affirming hormone therapy. She leads clinical and survey-based research to advance the health of gender-diverse populations. Dr. Toribio earned her MD from Johns Hopkins and completed her Endocrinology fellowship at Mass General.

Dr. Sara Looby is an NIH-funded researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on metabolic disorders among women with HIV, including bone loss and cardiovascular risk. A long-time member of the Program in Nutritional Metabolism, Dr. Looby is also a dedicated health educator and Nurse Scientist at the Munn Center for Nursing Research.

Neuroscience

Amber Alhadeff, PhD

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Dr. Amber L. Alhadeff began her research career in 2007, joining the laboratory of Dr. Harvey Grill at the University of Pennsylvania as a sophomore. She continued on to earn her Ph.D. with Dr. Harvey Grill and Dr. Matthew Hayes, during which she investigated the effects of hindbrain neuroendocrine signaling on food intake control. After receiving her Ph.D., Amber joined the laboratory of Dr. J. Nicholas Betley at Penn for her postdoctoral research. During her time in the Betley Lab, Dr. Alhadeff explored the physiological regulation of homeostatic and reward circuits in the brain. As a postdoc, Amber received independent funding from the NIH (F32 NRSA, K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award), L’Oreal USA For Women In Science, and The Obesity Society. The Alhadeff Lab opened in 2020 at the Monell Chemical Senses Center and Department of Neuroscience at Penn and is focused on the gut-brain signaling dynamics underlying motivated behavior. The Alhadeff lab is funded by the NIH (NIDDK and NCCIH), the Klingenstein Fund and Simons Foundation, the American Heart Association, the Monell Center, and the Penn Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Amber is a recipient of the 2021 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award and the 2021 Eppendorf & Science Prize in Neurobiology, and is a Pew Biomedical Scholar and a New York Stem Cell Foundation – Robertson Neuroscience Investigator.

Nutrition Sciences

Barbara Gower, PhD

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Barbara Gower is Professor and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, and serves as Director of the Metabolism Core for the Nutrition Obesity Research Center and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and the Human Physiology Core for the Diabetes Research Center. Her research focuses on the interplay among diet, endocrinology, and metabolism, and their relationship to chronic metabolic disease, with expertise in evaluating body composition, body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity, and beta-cell function. Her two major research areas are nutrition interventions for obesity and metabolic health, and risk for type 2 diabetes in African-Americans. She recently completed two NIH-funded studies on the role of macronutrient composition in diet on reproductive and metabolic outcomes. She currently is conducting two NIH-funded research studies to 1) test the hypothesis that in patients with type 2 diabetes, a low glycemic diet will enable return of beta-cell function by depleting pancreas lipid, even in the absence of weight loss, and 2) test the hypothesis that in African-American women with obesity, an insulin-lowering diet will improve loss of fat mass during weight loss and result in greater weight loss maintenance, in part by increasing energy expenditure.

Nutritional Medicine

Faris M. Zuraikat, PhD

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Dr. Faris M. Zuraikat is an Assistant Professor of Nutritional Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and the Institute of Human Nutrition. His research focuses on the intersection of sleep, eating behaviors, and cardiometabolic health, with a primary goal of understanding how sleep influences the effectiveness of obesity treatments. Dr. Zuraikat has extensive experience in both clinical trials and observational research, examining the complex relationships between dietary behaviors, metabolism, and long-term health outcomes. His academic training explored key drivers of food choice and intake, while his postdoctoral fellowship deepened his expertise in sleep and circadian rhythms. This foundation enabled him to develop a unique research approach to evaluate the independent and combined effects of sleep and dietary habits on obesity and metabolic risk. By integrating insights from nutrition and sleep sciences, Dr. Zuraikat’s research aims to develop innovative strategies for weight management and the prevention of metabolic diseases. His work sheds light on the physiological and behavioral mechanisms underlying obesity and chronic disease, bridging gaps in current treatment approaches. Beyond research, Dr. Zuraikat is deeply committed to education and mentorship. He plays an active role in Columbia University’s Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research and the Columbia University Seminar on Appetitive Behaviors. Through these initiatives, he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and helps train future scientists in nutrition, sleep, and metabolism. Dr. Zuraikat’s contributions to research and education continue to shape new approaches for obesity treatment, emphasizing the crucial role of sleep and eating behaviors in long-term health.

Physical Activity & Weight Management

Renee J. Rogers, PhD, FACSM

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Dr. Renee Rogers is a leading expert in bio-behavioral healthy lifestyle intervention and platform design, specializing in technology, media, and engagement strategies to promote long-term adherence. She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and serves as Chair of ACSM’s Strategic Health Initiative (SHI) for Behavior and the ACSM International Health & Fitness Summit. With a background in theater and production, combined with academic training in Exercise Physiology, Behavior Change, and Weight Management, Dr. Rogers takes an innovative approach to health promotion, physical activity, and weight management. She has worked as a practitioner, program director, researcher, and consultant, shaping her ability to translate research into real-world programs that drive strong engagement and adherence. Since 2010, Dr. Rogers has been developing technology-based lifestyle interventions tailored to diverse populations across the lifespan. Her work focuses on improving body weight, cardiovascular fitness, strength, physical function, cognition, and overall quality of life through innovative strategies that encourage long-term participation.

Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk

Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, MD, MPH, FAHA, FABMR

Monday, February 24, 2025

Tiffany Powell-Wiley graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. During medical school, she spent a year at the NIH as a research fellow in the Clinical Research Training Program. Dr. Powell-Wiley graduated from Duke University School of Medicine and completed her Master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining NIH, Dr. Powell-Wiley completed internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and cardiology fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Powell-Wiley served two years as a clinical research fellow in the Reynolds Cardiovascular Research Center at UTSW. Dr. Powell-Wiley also served for one year as the Cardiology division’s first chief fellow. From 2011 to 2017, Dr. Powell-Wiley was an Assistant Clinical Investigator at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. From 2011-2014, she held a joint appointment in the Office of the Associate Director of the Applied Research Program of the National Cancer Institute. Since 2017, Dr. Powell-Wiley has been an Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator with a joint appointment in the Cardiovascular Branch of the Division of Intramural Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Obesity Medicine

Scott Butsch, MD, MSc, FTOS

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Dr. Butsch is the Director of Obesity Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric and Metabolic Institute and a former Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS). He completed the first obesity medicine fellowship in the U.S. at HMS/Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and is a diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and a Fellow of The Obesity Society.

Dr. Butsch specializes in pharmacological treatments for obesity, combination therapies for bariatric surgery patients, and care for individuals with severe obesity. A national leader in obesity education, he has directed educational programs at HMS, including the division of Nutrition and the Harvard CME Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine.

An active advocate for reducing weight stigma and improving access to obesity care, Dr. Butsch chairs key committees in The Obesity Society and the Massachusetts Medical Society. His dedication to education, advocacy, and clinical excellence is recognized nationally and internationally.