Title of project

Characterising Parent Driven Bio-Behavioural Phenotypes to Predict Treatment Response in Family Obesity

Abstract

Childhood obesity is an increasing global health concern with strong intergenerational links. Traditional interventions often overlook the crucial role of parental obesity and health behaviours, shared environments, and socioeconomic factors. As an MD, PhD in basic metabolic research and Principal Investigator of the FutureShape Family trial, I will investigate the hypothesis that parentdriven bio-behavioural phenotype characterises family obesity and predictstreatment response. I have established an interdisciplinary and international partnership to investigate these bio-behavioural clusters within families via a gut-brain-adipose tissue framework. The project is anchored at University of Copenhagen under the guidance of Professor Signe S. Torekov and collaboration with the following strategic partners, and expert in each of their scientific area: Professor Karine Clément (Sorbonne University) leading expert in gut microbiota in human obesity, Professor Michael D. Jensen (Mayo Clinic) renowned for his mechanistic work on adipose tissue in human obesity, and Associate Professor Laura M. Holsen (Harvard) expert in neuroendocrinology and functional MR scans.

The specific aims of my project for the DDEA Strategic Partnership Postdoctoral Fellowships are:
(1) Behavioural profiling: Determine family behaviour phenotypes from objective activity/sleep, diet logs, psychosocial questionnaires, and neurocognitive tests.
(2) Biomedical profiling: Determine family biomedical phenotype from fasting metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers and gut metagenomics at baseline.

I will use data from the FutureShape Family, a two-arm, parallel-group randomised clinical trial of up to 400 families with obesity (at least one parent with obesity and at least one child aged 4–12 years with overweight/obesity). Families are randomised to an AI-assisted behavioural programme (personalised feedback on activity, sleep, and diet) versus general lifestyle advice. Parents with obesity in both arms receive 26 weeks of semaglutide to standardise early weight loss.
I will use this novel cluster of biobehavioural phenotypes to personalise strategies for healthy weight in families with obesity and develop behavioural interventions that work, are sustainable, and applicable in a health care system with limited resources.