Cecilia Lindgren

Obesity and its consequences are major and growing challenges for health care worldwide. Recently, the first common variants have been identified which influence overall levels of adiposity (measured by body mass index, BMI) and predispose to obesity at the population level. These findings should lead to improved understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of overall obesity and energy balance. However, not all obese individuals are equally vulnerable to diabetes, insulin resistance and the other adverse consequences of obesity, and it has long been appreciated that the distribution of fat (particularly the degree of central or visceral obesity) is an additional and independent determinant of individual risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

The research in the Lindgren group seeks to advance understanding of the mechanisms involved in obesity and the regulation of differential fat accumulation in the belief that an appreciation of these mechanisms will complement advances in understanding of obesity. By applying a range of genetic and genomic approaches, we expect to identify genetic variants influencing various aspects of obesity (overall obesity as well as fat distribution), and to illuminate some of the biological pathways involved.