Obesity Therapeutics: Unlocking Benefits and Minimizing Side Effects (J5)
January 26-29, 2026
| Keystone Resort, Keystone, CO, United States
Lora K. Heisler, James Trevaskis, Michael A Cowley and Matthias H. Tschöp
Scholarship Deadline: Oct. 9, 2025 | Abstract Deadline: Jan. 10, 2026 | Early Registration Deadline: Nov. 25, 2025
| 4:00–8:00 PM |
Registration |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 6:00–8:00 PM |
Welcome Mixer Sponsored by Lilly |
Longs Peak Foyer |
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–8:10 AM |
Welcome Remarks (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
| 8:10–9:00 AM |
Keynote Address (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
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* Daniel P Kelly, University of Pennsylvania
Session Chair |
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* Lora K. Heisler, Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen
Session Chair |
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Richard D DiMarchi, Indiana University
The Chemical Evolution of Peptides To Transform Human Health |
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| 9:00–11:30 AM |
Beyond Weight Loss: New Directions for Obesity Therapeutics (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
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* Daniel P Kelly, University of Pennsylvania
Session Chair |
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* Morris J Birnbaum, University of Pennsylvania
Session Chair |
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Rachel J. Roth Flach, Valo Health
Using Human Data & Machine Learning Techniques to Identify Heart Failure Phenogroups & Application to New Target Discovery & Validation |
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Susan Quaggin, Northwestern University
A United Vision for Kidney and Cardiovascular Disease Treatment |
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James Trevaskis, Eli Lilly
Incretins for MASH Treatment |
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Riccardo Panella, Aalborg University
Short Talk: From Fat Selectivity to Rebound Prevention: RES-010 As A Novel Backbone for Obesity Therapy |
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Taha Bugra Gungul, University of Virginia
Short Talk: A Brain Reward Circuit Inhibited By Next-Generation Weight Loss Drugs |
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| 9:30–9:50 AM |
Coffee Break |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 9:50–9:55 AM |
Award Recipient Acknowledgement (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
| 11:30–12:30 PM |
Meet the Editors (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
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* Rong Tian, University of Washington
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Yevgeniya Nusinovich, AAAS/Science
Senior Editor |
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Suze Annigje de Bruijn, PLOS
Scientific Editor |
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Lora K. Heisler, Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen
Professor & Editor at Molecular Metabolism |
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Senegal Carty, Springer Nature
Associate Editor |
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Andrew Jobbins, Cell Press
Editor-in-Chief |
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Brandon J Berry, AAAS
Associate Editor |
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| 12:30–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
Quandary Peak |
| 12:30–2:30 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
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| 1:00–10:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Quandary Peak |
| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 1: Emerging Therapies, Lifestyle Interventions and AI Approaches (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
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* Murielle M Véniant-Ellison, Amgen Inc.
Session Chair |
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* Stephan Herzig, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Session Chair |
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Jiyuan Piao, University of Alberta
Discovery of Snail Molecule in Hibernating Snails that Rewires Fuel Sensing and Induces Quiescence in Mouse Fibroblasts and Cardioprotective Hibernation in Mice Hearts |
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Pieterjan Dierickx, Max Planck for Heart & Lung Research
Metabolic Regulation of Circadian Rhythmicity in the Aging Female Heart |
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Ashutosh Tomar, University Heidelberg
Disruption of CaMKII–HDAC4 Axis Protects Against Maladaptive Metabolic Remodelling in Metabolic HFpEF |
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Trace Thome, University of Pennsylvania
SGLT2 Inhibitors Activate PANK1 in Human Hearts Augmenting Cardiac Metabolism |
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Michelle To, Svensson Lab, Stanford University
A BRINP3-Derived Peptide Drives Non-Aversive Appetite Suppression via PVH Circuits |
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Richard G. Kibbey, Yale University
Small Molecule Activators of Pyruvate Kinase: Preserving Muscle while Treating Obesity |
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Joanne Hsieh, Gordian Biotechnology
Parallelized In Vivo Screening in Visceral Adipocytes to Identify Novel Targets for Safe Weight Loss |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Late Breaking Research on Obesity Development |
Longs Peak |
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* Margaret Stefater-Richards, Boston Children's Hospital
Session Chair |
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* Roger J Davis, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Session Chair |
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Ana Paula Arruda, University of California, Berkeley
Metabolic Regulation Through Inter-Organelle Contact Sites |
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Jason Gill, University of Glasgow
Ethnic Differences in the Development and Management of Obesity |
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Randy J. Seeley, University of Michigan
Body Weight Set Point |
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Anton Pekcec, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG
Short Talk: Expanding the Horizon of Obesity Therapy: Tissue-Specific Mitochondrial Uncoupling as a Novel Strategy Beyond GLP-1 |
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Monika Sharma, OrsoBio Inc
Short Talk: The Protonophore TLC-1180 Drives Weight Loss, Alone and Combined with Semaglutide, in Obese Non-human Primates |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Quandary Peak |
| 7:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Session 1 |
Quandary Peak |
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–11:00 AM |
CNS Mechanisms of Action of Weight Loss |
Longs Peak |
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* Natalie J Michael, Université Laval
Session Chair |
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* Aurelio Franco Garcia, University of Aberdeen
Session Chair |
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Michael A Cowley, Monash University
Hypothalamic Neurocircuits that Mediate Drug Actions |
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Lora K. Heisler, Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen
Brain GPCR Targets and Circuits Controlling Food Intake |
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Bei B. Zhang, Novo Nordisk
Modulation of GLP-1 and Amylin Receptors for Weight Management and Metabolic Health |
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Giuseppe D'Agostino, University of Manchester
Appetite and Body Weight Control via Caudal Brainstem Circuits |
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Allison Duensing, University of Michigan
Short Talk: Distinct Anatomy and Functions for Transcriptionally Defined Subsets of Agrp/Npy Neuron-Targeting Hypothalamic LepRb-Glp1r Neurons |
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Wonhee Cho, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Short Talk: Neuroplasticity of Arcuate POMC and NPY/AgRP Neurons Following Bariatric Surgery |
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| 9:00–9:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 11:00–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
Quandary Peak |
| 11:00–1:30 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
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| 1:00–10:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Quandary Peak |
| 1:30–2:45 PM |
Career Roundtable (Joint) |
Longs Peak |
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Pieterjan Dierickx, Max Planck for Heart & Lung Research
Independent Group Leader |
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Allison Ostriker, Novo Nordisk
Senior Scientist II |
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Antoine Henninot, Curie Bio
Senior Director, Drug Maker, Peptide Chemistry |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Leveraging Enteroendocrine Cell Secretion |
Longs Peak |
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* Peter R. Shepherd, University of Auckland
Session Chair |
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* Alison N McRae, Mayo Clinic
Session Chair |
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Alice E Adriaenssens, AstraZeneca
Remote Presenter: GIPR Neurocircuits in the Brainstem and Hypothalamus |
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Shirly Pinto, Kallyope
Gut Enteroendocrine Cell Activation Using a Combination of GPR119 and GPR40 Agonists Results in Synergistic Hormone Secretion in Mice and Humans |
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Kevin G Murphy, Imperial College London
Dietary Drivers of Gut Hormone Release |
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Shefaa AlAsfoor, Boston Children's Hospital
Short Talk: Role of the Intestinal LXR–PPAR⍺ Axis to Mediate RYGB-Induced Intestinal Adaptation |
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Aanya Hirdaramani, Imperial College London
Short Talk: Developing a Fluorescent Reporter System for Scalable Detection of PYY Production from Enteroendocrine Cells in Real Time with Single-Event Resolution |
|
| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Quandary Peak |
| 7:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Session 2 |
Quandary Peak |
Thursday, January 29, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–11:00 AM |
Emerging Therapies for Obesity and Cardiometabolic Diseases (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
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* William C. Sessa, Yale School of Medicine
Session Chair |
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* Brian Finan, Eli Lilly
Session Chair |
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Matthias H. Tschöp, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
Dual and Triple Co-Agonists: From Discovery to Best-in-Class |
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Kirsten Raun, Novo Nordisk A/S
Amylin Analogues: Expanding the Territory – Opportunity Meets Complexity |
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Thomas A Lutz, University of Zürich
Amylin Physiology and its Therapeutic Potential to Treat Metabolic Diseases |
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Murielle M Véniant-Ellison, Amgen Inc.
GIPR Antagonism Provides a Unique Pharmacological Path to Metabolic Benefit |
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Shan Parikh, Yale University
Short Talk: TLC-1180 Reverses Obesity, Improves Myocardial Insulin Sensitivity, and Enhances Cardiac Fitness in a Murine Model of Diet-Induced Obesity |
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Timo D Müller, Helmholtz Munich
Short Talk: An Unimolecular GIPR:GLP-1R:PPAR𝛼,𝛾,𝛿 Quintuple Agonist Eliminates Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Mice |
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| 9:00–9:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 11:00–2:30 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
|
| 1:00–2:00 PM |
Panel: Perspectives: Personalized Medicine & Patient-Centered Strategies (Joint) |
Longs/Grays Peaks |
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* Tiffany M Powell-Wiley, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health
Panel Moderator |
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Kevin Grove, Versant Ventures
Panelist |
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Roger D. Cone, University of Michigan
Panelist |
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| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 2: Leveraging Genetics |
Longs Peak |
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* Shamina M Rangwala, Flagship Pioneering
Session Chair |
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Giles Yeo, University of Cambridge
HINDMAP - A Spatio-Cellular Map of the Human Dorsal Vagal Complex |
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Antje Körner, Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) at Helmholtz Munich and Leipzig University
Treatment Opportunities for a Novel Human Monogenic Agouti-Like Obesity Trait |
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David Lloyd, Insitro
A GWAS of a ML-derived BAT Phenotype and Validation in Human Adipocytes And Mice |
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Cory Schwartz, iBio, Inc
Neutralization of Activin E Promotes Fat-Selective Weight Loss and Prevents Weight Regain in Preclinical Models of Obesity |
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Kevin Manuel Mendez Acevedo, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge
Molecular Characterization of Human Variants in GPR75 Identified in Thin People |
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Alasdair Leeson-Payne, University of Aberdeen
Gpr75 Knockout Mice are Protected from Age-Induced Weight Gain |
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Prasad Kotikalapudi, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Blockade of Beneficial Activin E Signaling by GDF3 Enhances Adipose Lipolysis and Aggravates MASH |
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Roger D. Cone, University of Michigan
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 5:00–6:45 PM |
Preservation of Muscle Mass and Function During Weight Loss |
Longs Peak |
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* David Baker, Fable Therapeutics
Session Chair |
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Philip Larsen, Sixpeaks Bio AG
Remote Presentation: Preservation of Skeletal Muscle is a Key to Healthy Weight Loss |
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Mark W. Sleeman, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Remote Presentation: Strategies to Prevent Muscle Loss |
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Ffolliott M Fisher, Keros Therapeutics
Targeting the TGF-β super Family for the Preservation of Muscle Mass and Weight Loss |
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Patricia Baumgarten, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Short Talk: Acylated Urocortin 2 Peptide Therapy Rescues Skeletal Muscle Mass and Fitness by Enhancing Protein Turnover in a Mouse Model of Sarcopenic Obesity |
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| 6:45–7:00 PM |
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers) |
Longs Peak |
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* Lora K. Heisler, Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen
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Matthias H. Tschöp, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
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James Trevaskis, Eli Lilly
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Michael A Cowley, Monash University
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–9:00 PM |
Cash Bar |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–9:00 PM |
Entertainment |
Longs Peak |
