U of Michigan Researcher Wins $1.5 Million Prize to Study Obesity

(Originally published Oct. 5, 2016) Monica Dus, a molecular biologist at the University of Michigan, wants to understand how excess sugar leads to obesity. Her research began with Cupcake and Sprinkles, the names, ironically, of her two Bichon Frise pets. One day, with Dus out of sight, Cupcake and Sprinkles got into a bag of dog treats and didn't stop. That incident got her thinking about why some people can't resist that second cupcake or slice of pie, even when their tummies say "I'm full."

Dus had started her research career studying fruit fly genetics, so she decided to study flies to see if she could discover how the brain controls eating. And her ideas are gaining renown.

She's just received a $1.5 million, five-year New Innovator award from the National Institutes of Health. It's a grant aimed at "exceptionally creative, early-career investigators who propose innovative, high-impact projects."

Her lab has a working hypothesis. Dus believes a diet high in sugar tricks the brain, she told National Public Radio, and it can no longer keep track of how many calories have been consumed.

Her study takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding sugar's effect on the bain.

» For more on this story, go to National Public Radio.

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