ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Neuronal Control of Appetite, organized by
Drs. Richard Simerly, J. Nicholas Betley and Stephanie Fulton. The conference will be held in Banff, Alberta
from March 20-23, 2022.
How the brain coordinates multiple physiological and environmental signals to regulate body weight remains an
important and actively investigated biological question. Moreover, the answer to this question has direct
clinical relevance to the management of obesity; most of research in this area has focused, appropriately, on
neuroendocrine regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. This Keystone Symposia conference was
designed to the present the most cutting-edge findings in the field, which will further expand our understanding
of energy balance regulation within the context of motivated behavior. In a dynamic world, the decision to
consume food is made after weighing competing needs that also must be addressed to ensure survival as
individuals seek, consume and store energy. Additionally, neural systems also reward inappropriate food
intake. This conference will focus on the progress being done at both the circuit and systems level, in humans
and animal models, to understand how and when food intake is prioritized, how the brain integrates relevant
sensory information, balances competing needs, and coordinates adaptive behavior and associated
physiological responses to effectively manage energy balance. This conference will also explore development
of the neural systems that accomplish these integrative processes. Other sessions will examine how
environmental and interoceptive signals, as well as neuroinflammation, can change the organization and
function of these neural systems. A diverse array of experimental approaches will be reviewed that both
support and challenge current concepts of energy balance regulation and promise to provide a rich framework
for discussion and collaboration. Finally, this meeting is being paired with the Keystone Symposia conference,
Gut Brain Axis. The meetings will share sessions and provide an optimal venue for participants across both
conferences to interact and develop new collaborations across these fields.