Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Florida State University received a $592,841 Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), effective April 1, 2026, through January 31, 2031. The award supports biomedical research investigating how maternal consumption of Western diets high in fat and sugar during pregnancy and lactation impacts offspring neurodevelopment and susceptibility to obesity. Using a novel glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) reporter rat model, the research will document perinatal diet-induced changes in central GLP1 signaling pathways, examine the relationship between these neurobiological alterations and behavioral/physiological outcomes in male and female offspring, and evaluate whether adolescent-onset treatment with semaglutide, a brain-penetrant GLP1 receptor analogue, can reverse the adverse effects of perinatal Western diet exposure.

The project deliverables include comprehensive characterization of GLP1 circuit plasticity induced by perinatal maternal nutrition, mechanistic understanding of how altered central GLP1 signaling contributes to increased dietary preference for Western foods, and evidence-based findings on therapeutic interventions targeting these neurodevelopmental pathways. These research products will advance scientific understanding of how maternal nutrition shapes offspring metabolism and appetite regulation, thereby contributing to improved prevention and treatment strategies for obesity-related disorders aligned with NIDDK's programmatic objectives in metabolic disease research.