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Brain, Body and Appetite Research Collaborative (Schur Laboratory)

The Schur laboratory seeks to understand how the brain regulates appetite. In humans, social, psychological, physiologic, and other factors influence appetite and food intake.

A collage showing a veggie pizza, a fresh salad with radishes and tomatoes, a bowl of mixed berries, and a slice of chocolate cake on a white plate.

In BBARC studies, study participants often view images of food, such as those above, while undergoing an MRI scan to study the perception of appetite.

The Brain, Body and Appetite Research Collaborative (BBARC) is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people living with obesity and related conditions through attaining a better understanding of the brain’s role in the development and treatment of these important health concerns. Appetite is regulated by the brain. This complicated regulation system uses some of the brain’s most powerful motivational signals to ensure we maintain sufficient energy stores for survival. These signals become even stronger when people try to lose weight, fighting back against the weight loss to rebuild energy stores in the form of fat. The function of this appetite-regulating system is influenced by genetic, environmental, behavioral, social, and physiologic factors. We therefore use multi-disciplinary research approaches that integrate fields including endocrinology, psychology, and neuroscience. Finally, we seek to be allies to people living with obesity; we strive to combat weight stigma in our personal interactions and by disseminating scientific knowledge regarding the biology of appetite and weight regulation.

Logo for the Brain, Body and Appetite Research Collaborative (BBARC) featuring a stylized brain with the words “EAT FOR SCIENCE” above and “BBARC” with the full name written below.

In BBARC studies, study participants often view images of food, such as those above, while undergoing an MRI scan to study the perception of appetite.

A group of nine women, some standing and some kneeling, smile at the camera. The woman in front holds a bouquet of pink and purple flowers. Most wear work badges and casual clothes, and they are indoors against a plain wall. A group of eight smiling people pose together by a lakeshore on a sunny day, with water, trees, and stadiums visible in the background. Some wear sunglasses and hats. Six smiling people gather around a Siberian Husky wearing a purple bandana with a gold W on it, in front of a white backdrop outdoors. A group of nine smiling people poses indoors in front of a large pink owl statue. Most are standing, two are kneeling, and one person is wearing a yellow Washington sweatshirt. A window and greenery are visible in the background. Transparent side view of a human brain with various regions labeled in colored circles (green, blue, red), connected by lines indicating neural pathways and network connectivity. A person with glasses and dark hair smiles beside a round table displaying a baboon-like creature figurine with gray fur and a fierce expression. A screen and dark curtains are in the background. Two people standing side by side in an office, smiling and wearing animal masks—one resembling a fox and the other resembling a mouse. Both are dressed in casual work attire. Four women pose indoors, smiling and flexing their arms as if showing strength. Two kneel in front, two stand behind. They appear to be in athletic or casual wear in a cozy living room setting. Six people stand in a row, smiling and wearing various animal masks and casual clothing, with a bright, white wall and a large window in the background. MRI brain scan side view with colored area in orange highlighting a specific region, possibly the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, with green and purple crosshairs marking the area of interest.

Current Studies

Our functional MRI studies evaluate the influence of genetics, body weight, and weight loss on the brain’s response to images of high- and low-calorie food to reach a better understanding of how the brain shapes appetite. Our current structural MRI studies evaluate hypothalamic inflammation—or gliosis—in both adults and children. Gliosis, in its most serious manifestation, is a form of scarring. It results from highly energetic diets in rodents, and the BBARC lab is assessing whether this is also true in people. We are also actively investigating how hypothalamic gliosis might influence the risk of developing obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Weight Effects on Brain health Study (WEBS)
Brain Appetite and Satiety in Children-2 (BASIC2)
Brain Effects on Appetite and Metabolism Study (BEAM)
What You Eat affect your Brain (WYE)
Assessing Diet, Appetite and Physiology Throughout weight loss (ADAPT)
Food Image Study (FIS)
Brain Influences on growth at Birth Study (BIBS)
Brain Influences on growth at Birth Study 2 (BIBS2)
Building Research and Intervention Development to Guide Eating Habits in children Study (BRIDGE)
Inherited and Environmental Risks Acting on body weight study (INTERACT)
The WEBS logo features a transparent brain with interconnected lines, the acronym WEBS in large blue letters, and the phrase Weight Effects on Brain health Study in smaller text to the right.

The Weight Effects on Brain health Study (WEBS) seeks to understand the possible implications of hypothalamic inflammation on clinical weight management for humans undergoing obesity treatment

The word BASIC in bold orange letters, with a blue brain graphic above the letter C containing the number 2 and three small blue dots connecting the brain to the word.

The Brain Appetite and Satiety in Children-2 (BASIC2) study is performed in collaboration with Seattle Children’s and seeks to understand if the addition of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist in combination with family-based behavioral treatment augments children’s weight loss through improved brain responses to a meal and/or reduced hypothalamic inflammation.

Logo with the words “THE Beam STUDY” on a white background. “Beam” is in large black letters; the letter m forms a smile, and “THE” and “STUDY” are in smaller blue text above and below the smile.

The Brain Effects on Appetite and Metabolism Study (BEAM) investigates if the presence of hypothalamic inflammation contributes to reduced satiety responsiveness and/or poor food intake regulation and if it is a risk factor of excessive weight gain. This is a 2-site study with participants at the University of Washington and Johns Hopkins University.

Stylized image of a brain formed by connected blue and green circles, with the text: WYE STUDY. DOES WHAT YOU EAT AFFECT THE BRAIN?.

The does What You Eat affect your Brain (WYE) study seeks to understand the effect of diet in humans on hypothalamic inflammation.

The implication of hypothalamic inflammation for cardiovascular disease study extends our current projects by investigating the relationship of hypothalamic inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk in humans in an ancillary study to the Framingham Heart Study.

The image shows the acronym ADAPT above a dotted arrow that changes from green to blue, pointing right, with the text: Assessing Diet, Appetite and Physiology Throughout weight loss below.

The Assessing Diet, Appetite and Physiology Throughout weight loss (ADAPT) study investigates if there are changes in metabolism and/or the brain that contribute to the occurrence of an involuntary weight loss plateau. This study is performed in collaboration with investigators at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and the VA (VAPSHCS).

Currently recruiting adults age 18-60, click here for more information: ADAPT study

Illustration of a salad bowl and a pizza slice with arrows pointing to a human head silhouette featuring a brain, suggesting the impact of food choices on brain health.

The Food Image Study (FIS) investigates how the brain responds to different types of visual food stimuli in adults.

A white baby bib with a teal border features large black letters BIBS above a simple gray brain illustration. Below, in curved text it reads: Brain Influences on growth at Birth Study.

The Brain Influences on growth at Birth Study (BIBS) investigates how a baby’s brain characteristics contribute to growth and weight gain in the first 6 months of life. This study is directed by Dr. Sewaybricker.

The Brain Influences on growth at Birth Study 2 (BIBS2) is trying to learn how the baby brain and nutrition contribute to weight gain and growth early in life in babies of mothers who experienced gestational diabetes.. This study is directed by Dr. Sewaybricker.

Currently recruiting infants between 1-4 weeks old, diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy.  If you are currently pregnant or have an infant 1-4 weeks old, click here for more information Brain Influences on growth at Birth Study 2 (BIBS2)

Illustration of a smiling broccoli, brain, and apple standing on a bridge. Text reads: BRIDGE to healthy brains in kids, with a subtext: building research for intervention development in gliosis and eating habits.

The Building Research and Intervention Development to Guide Eating Habits in children Study (BRIDGE) seeks to engage families in research involving feeding studies in children and if changing a child’s diet can lead to measurable brain changes.

The Inherited and Environmental Risks Acting on body weight study (INTERACT) investigates how inherited and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity through mechanisms in body-weight regulating areas of the brain.

Members of the Brain, Body and Appetite Research Collaborative

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Ellen Schur, MD, MS
Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Director, Nutrition and Obesity Research Center
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Susan Melhorn, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
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Leticia Sewaybricker, MD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine
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Dabin Yeum, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mary Webb
Research Coordinator
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Roz De Leon
Research Coordinator
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Miriam Rodriguez Ruiz
Research Study Coordinator
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Lauren Hand, PhD. RD
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Josephine Stenn
Research Assistant
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Emma Saroiu
Undergraduate Student

Lab Alumni

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Suchi Chandrasekaran, MD, MSCE
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Jennifer Rosenbaum, MD, MEd
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Kelsey Olerich, MD, PhD
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Caila Tongco
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Sara Pirouz
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Sarah Kee
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Melbin Thomas, MD
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Olivia Carter
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Alyssa Huang, MD
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Justin Lo

Brain, Body and Appetite Research Collaborative Featured Publications

Update on Hypothalamic Inflammation and Gliosis: Expanding Evidence of Relevance Beyond Obesity. Huang A, Yeum D, Sewaybricker LE, Aleksic S, Thomas M, Melhorn SJ, Earley YF, Schur EA. Curr Obes Rep. 2025 Jan 8;14(1):6. doi: 10.1007/s13679-024-00595-8. PMID: 39775194.

Hypothalamic Gliosis Is Associated With Multiple Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in the Framingham Heart Study. Lo J, Melhorn SJ, Kee S, Olerich KLW, Huang A, Yeum D, Beiser A, Seshadri S, DeCarli C, Schur EA. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 May 20;14(10):e039463. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.039463. Epub 2025 Apr 16. PMID: 40240914; PMCID: PMC12184564.

Associations of radiologic characteristics of the neonatal hypothalamus with early life adiposity gain. Sewaybricker LE, Melhorn SJ, Entringer S, Buss C, Wadhwa PD, Schur EA, Rasmussen JM. Pediatr Obes. 2024 Jun;19(6):e13114. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.13114. Epub 2024 Mar 13. PMID: 38477234; PMCID: PMC11081834.

The Impact of Eating Behaviors on Ultraprocessed Food Consumption Over 12 Months in Children. Yeum D, Hua S, Thapaliya G, Duck SA, Melhorn SJ, Roth CL, Schur EA, Carnell S, Sewaybricker LE.  Obesity (Silver Spring). 2025 Sep;33(9):1704-1712. doi: 10.1002/oby.24361. Epub 2025 Jul 27. PMID: 40716791; PMCID: PMC12313174. *Selected as Editor’s Choice.

The significance of hypothalamic inflammation and gliosis for the pathogenesis of obesity in humans. Leticia E Sewaybricker, Alyssa Huang, Suchitra Chandrasekaran, Susan J Melhorn, Ellen A Schur. Endocr Rev. 2022 Oct 17:bnac023. doi: 10.1210/endrev/bnac023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36251886.

Exposure to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prior to 26 Weeks is Related to The Presence of Mediobasal Hypothalamic Gliosis in Children. Chandrasekaran S, Melhorn S, Olerich KL, Angelo B, Chow T, Xiang A, Schur EA, Page KA. Diabetes. 2022 Sep 12:db220448. doi: 10.2337/db22-0448. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36095276.

Impaired Brain Satiety Responses After Weight Loss in Children with Obesity. Roth CL, Melhorn SJ, De Leon MRB, Rowland MG, Elfers CT, Huang A, Saelens BE, Schur EA J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Jul 14;107(8):2254-2266. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac299. PMID: 35544121; PMCID: PMC9282278.

Evidence That Hypothalamic Gliosis Is Related to Impaired Glucose Homeostasis in Adults with Obesity. Rosenbaum JL, Melhorn SJ, Schoen S, Webb MF, De Leon MRB, Humphreys M, Utzschneider KM, Schur EA. Diabetes Care. 2022 Feb 1;45(2):416-424. doi: 10.2337/dc21-1535. PMID: 34848489; PMCID: PMC8914420.

Greater radiologic evidence of hypothalamic gliosis predicts adiposity gain in children at risk for obesity. Sewaybricker LE, Kee S, Melhorn SJ, Schur EA. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021 Nov;29(11):1770-1779. doi: 10.1002/oby.23286. PMID: 34734493; PMCID: PMC8608399.

Initial evidence for hypothalamic gliosis in children with obesity by quantitative T2 MRI and implications for blood oxygen-level dependent response to glucose ingestion. Sewaybricker LE, Schur EA, Melhorn SJ, Campos BM, Askren MK, Nogueira GAS, Zambon MP, Antonio MARGM, Cendes F, Velloso LA, Guerra-Junior G. Pediatr Obes. 2019 Feb;14(2):e12486. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12486. Epub 2018 Dec 10. PMID: 30537237; PMCID: PMC7027952.

Brain regulation of appetite in twins. Melhorn SJ, Mehta S, Kratz M, Tyagi V, Webb MF, Noonan CJ, Buchwald DS, Goldberg J, Maravilla KR, Grabowski TJ, Schur EA. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Feb;103(2):314-22. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.121095. Epub 2016 Jan 6. PMID: 26739033; PMCID: PMC4733261.

Radiologic evidence that hypothalamic gliosis is associated with obesity and insulin resistance in humans. Schur EA, Melhorn SJ, Oh SK, Lacy JM, Berkseth KE, Guyenet SJ, Sonnen JA, Tyagi V, De Leon MRB, Webb MF, Gonsalves ZT, Fligner CL, Schwartz MW, Maravilla KR. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015 Nov;23(11):2142-8. doi: 10.1002/oby.21248. Erratum in: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2022 Jul;30(7):1520. PMID: 26530930; PMCID: PMC4634110.

Obesity is associated with hypothalamic injury in rodents and humans. Thaler JP, Yi CX, Schur EA, Guyenet SJ, Hwang BH, Dietrich MO, Zhao X, Sarruf DA, Izgur V, Maravilla KR, Nguyen HT, Fischer JD, Matsen ME, Wisse BE, Morton GJ, Horvath TL, Baskin DG, Tschöp MH, Schwartz MW. J Clin Invest. 2012 Jan;122(1):153-62. doi: 10.1172/JCI59660. Epub 2011 Dec 27. Erratum in: J Clin Invest. 2012 Feb 1;122(2):778. PMID: 22201683; PMCID: PMC3248304.

BBARC Awards

Contact Us

UW Medicine Diabetes Institute
750 Republican Street, Box 358062
Seattle, WA 98109

Ellen Schur: (206) 543-8433

Susan Melhorn: (206) 616-3984

Ellen Schur: ellschur@uw.edu

Susan Melhorn: smelhorn@uw.edu

To inquire about Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Openings click on: ellschur@uw.edu