My 6th residence at the Stellenbosch Institute For Advanced Study (STIAS), and the 3rd of my Permanent Fellowship, has begun. My project here will be a continuation of my first residence in 2015 “New approaches to anti-obesity therapeutics”.

During my first 2015 residence, I presented some of the approaches followed by my laboratory to investigate this problem, based on studies of the ALK7 protein, a highly abundant receptor molecule in rodent and human adipocytes that is a key regulator of fat metabolism and plasticity. Major advances have taken place in the past 9 years in the field as a whole, the best known of these being the development and clinical application of GLP-1 agonists.

In my 2024 residence, I plan to do a survey of the recent history and current status of the field of GLP-1/GIP agonists as well as how this may intersect with my own work on the ALK7 receptor. In my presentation, I will summarize recent advances from my laboratory in understanding ALK7 function in adipose tissue, including why we believe that strategies aiming at suppressing ALK7 activity may complement therapies based on GLP-1 agonists in the treatment of human obesity.

My seminar presentation at 11AM CET on October 8th can be watched online from this Microsoft Teams link.