Susanne la Fleur

The regulation of feeding behavior extends far beyond simple hunger signals — it is embedded in the brain’s reward circuitry. In this talk, I will discuss how the brain controls food intake and energy metabolism, with a focus on the role of dopamine signaling. Evidence from human neuroimaging studies points to significant alterations in the dopamine system in individuals with obesity, which could affect both reward processing and metabolic regulation. I will then zoom in on how dopamine circuits — particularly within the striatum — modulate not only feeding behavior but also peripheral energy (glucose) metabolism. Together, these findings reframe obesity as a disorder of neural regulation, opening new avenues for understanding and intervention.