Federal Grant Award Summary

This K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), supports $132,885 in research activities at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University from March 15, 2026, through February 28, 2030. The grant funds Dr. Mary Elizabeth Baugh's research investigating how obesity and insulin sensitivity influence reward processing and decision-making in the brain. The project delivers foundational research examining the relationship between metabolic signals, neural function, and eating behaviors through two primary research aims: assessing how excess adiposity and insulin sensitivity affect post-ingestive reward learning using classical conditioning paradigms, and evaluating decision-making for food and non-food rewards using probabilistic selection tasks with computational modeling.

The award is designed to support Dr. Baugh's career development as an independent investigator, with the ultimate goal of translating research insights into individualized treatments for obesity and metabolic disease. Research outputs will include empirical data on the mechanisms linking obesity and insulin resistance to alterations in brain reward and decision-making systems, contributing to the broader understanding of metabolic and neural contributions to energy balance and eating behaviors. This mentored award supports the training and research infrastructure necessary to establish Dr. Baugh's independent research program in this critical area of metabolic neuroscience.