To Eat or Not to Eat: Developmental Control of Brain Circuits Controlling Appetite
Sebastien G. Bouret, Ph.D.
CNRS Research Director (DR1)
President of the French Society of Neuroendocrinology
Inserm UMR-S 1172
Lille Neuroscience & Cognition
Lille Neuroendocrinology team

Abstract
The rising prevalence of obesity and related conditions such as type 2 diabetes represents a major global health concern, affecting not only adults but also children and pregnant women. Evidence from epidemiological and preclinical studies indicates that disturbances in metabolic and hormonal environments during critical developmental windows increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. The developing brain, in particular the hypothalamus, is especially sensitive to such environmental influences. Developmental programming of hypothalamic neuroendocrine systems by the perinatal environment is now recognized as a potential contributor to lifelong metabolic disease.

This lecture will outline the key stages of hypothalamic development and highlight periods of vulnerability for the formation of neuronal populations involved in energy balance and glucose regulation. It will review current evidence on the roles of hormones (e.g., leptin, ghrelin) and neurohormones (e.g., oxytocin) in shaping hypothalamic melanocortin circuits, as well as recent findings on how maternal nutrition and the consumption of low-calorie sweeteners affect the development and organization of hypothalamic pathways controlling feeding and glucose homeostasis.

Invited by Françoise Muscatelli
Monday 8 June 2026 at 11am – INMED conference room