Philipp Scherer & Joel Elmquist on the interplay between the brain and adipose tissue and Jonathan Flak on the brain's role in glucose regulation, energy balance, and bodyweight control.

Welcome to the January 2025 episode of DiabetesBio—the American Diabetes Association's podcast for its flagship research publication, Diabetes. In this episode of DiabetesBio, Drs. Kirk Habegger, Darleen Sandoval, and Kevin Williams discuss the latest and greatest content in the January 2025 issue of Diabetes.

2:00 In a special format for the first episode of the new year, our hosts introduce a Sweet Talk double feature.

3:35 In part one of this special Sweet Talk segment, our hosts are joined by Philipp Scherer, PhD, Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and Director of the Touchstone Diabetes Center, and Joel Elmquist, DVM, PhD, Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Director of its Center for Hypothalamic Research. Both are previous recipients of the ADA's Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award, and Scherer recently received the ADA's Banting Medal.

They share their perspectives on the evolution of diabetes, obesity research, the interplay between the brain and adipose tissue, and what the future holds for understanding and treating these complex diseases.

33:00 In part two, our hosts speak with Jonathan Flak, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, and former recipient of the ADA's Pathway to Stop Diabetes Award. He discusses his work on the brain's role in glucose regulation, energy balance, and bodyweight control.

His article, "Functionally Separate Populations of Ventromedial Hypothalamic Neurons in Obesity and Diabetes: A Report on Research Supported by Pathway to Stop Diabetes," can be found in the January 2025 issue of Diabetes.

To learn more about Diabetes and DiabetesBio, please visit diabetesjournals.org/diabetes. Thank you for listening, and don't forget to smash that "follow" button!