The focus of the Clemmensen Group is on dissecting neuroendocrine signals involved in coordinating appetite, food-motivated behaviour, energy expenditure, glycemic control, and lipid metabolism. In parallel, we aim at transforming molecular and physiological insights into innovative therapeutic strategies that can correct obesity and its metabolic co-morbidities.

We are particularly invested in understanding how canonical satiety circuits interact with behavioural aspects of food intake, such as food reward. In context, we focus on detailing out how gut hormones modulate specific brain neurotransmitters to influence homeostatic and hedonic neurocircuits. Another major research theme revolves around understanding how environmental interventions such as cold exposure, exercise and fasting engage with neuroendocrine systems to regulate energy metabolism and metabolic health.

"The unidentified hormonal defense against weight gain"
Published in PloS Biology in 2020 this article gives an overview of the endocrine regulation of body weight and presents key knowledge gaps in this research area.

"GLP-1/dexamethasone inhibits food reward without inducing mood and memory deficits in mice"
Published in Neuropharmacology in 2019 this study demonstrates that a novel glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-dexamethasone co-agonist reverses rodent obesity via inhibiting motivation for palatable and rewarding foods.

"Divergent effects of resistance and endurance exercise on plasma bile acids, FGF19, and FGF21 in humans"
Published in JCI Insight in 2018 this article provides an overview of how the endocrine pathways: bile acids – FGF19 and glucagon – FGF21 are regulated in response to different exercise modes in human subjects.