Recent Publications
Bail, J. R., Wilson, J., Tipre, M., Duck, A., Hall, K., Akinyele, O., Bowman, T., Hardy, C., Garner, M., Demark-Wahnefried, W., & Baskin, M. (2023). Harvest for health in survivors of chronic disease: A demonstration project in the Alabama Black Belt and Mississippi Delta Region. Translational behavioral medicine, ibad062. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibad062
Martins, C., Roekenes, J. A., Rehfeld, J. F., Hunter, G. R., Gower, B. A. (2023). Metabolic adaptation is associated with a greater increase in appetite following weight loss: a longitudinal study, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.10.010.
Dike, C. R., Fittro, S., Oster, R. A., Morrow, C. D., Brandow, A., Demark-Wahnefried, W., Lebensburger, J. (2023). Gastrointestinal symptoms, diagnostic evaluations, and abdominal pathology in children with sickle cell disease. Pediatric blood & cancer, e30699. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.30699
Recent Awards
Lizzy Davis: Weight-focused vs. weight-neutral adaptive biobehavioral strategies for improving metabolic health in Black adults with Stage 1 Obesity: A pilot Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial.
Role: Co-investigator (PI: Drew Sayer), NIH P50
“Daughters, Mothers and Others Against Cancer”
New grants: 585363
Demark-Wahnefried | 01/01/2019–12/31/2021 | American Institute of Cancer Research
This grant will permit Dr. Demark-Wahnefried to conduct a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) of a diet-and exercise-based weight-loss intervention among 56 dyads (each comprising an overweight or obese cancer survivor of an obesity-related cancer and an overweight or obese “buddy” of their choosing) with the goal of reducing obesity and improving physical activity, diet quality, health-related quality of life (QoL), physical functioning and performance, and reducing select circulating biomarkers (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNFa], insulin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1]).
Recent Publications
Drake CE, Gower B, Ashraf A, et al. Effects of a low-glycemic, moderately-carbohydrate restricted diet on hepatic lipid content and insulin sensitivity in adolescents with MASLD: protocol of a 6-month family-based, randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Nutrition. Published online 2026:1-23. doi:10.1017/S0007114526108058
Battarbee AN, Blanchard CT, Chandler-Laney P, Carter EB, Garvey WT, Harper LM. The Association of Maternal Obesity and Gestational Diabetes during Pregnancy with Offspring Adiposity and Dysmetabolism: The Intergenerational Transmission of Obesity (ITO) Study. Am J Perinatol. 2026 Aug 18. doi:10.1055/a-2920-7436. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42498444.
Elshakankiry AM, Hunter GR, Martins C, Fisher G, Garvey WT, Howell CR. Weight Loss Improves Predicted 10-Year MACE and Type 2 Diabetes Risk, but Benefits Partially Rebound at 1-Year. Obesity. 2026. doi.org/10.1002/oby.70291.
Forsythe SD … Moellering DR, et al. Notch1 supports proliferation and bioenergetic activity in a pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm cell line. Cancer Lett. 2026.
Garvey WT, et al. Oral GLP-1RA TERN-601 for Adults With Obesity/Overweight: Placebo-Controlled, Multiple-Ascending-Dose, Phase 1 and 2 Studies. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2026 Jul 30. doi:10.1002/oby.70271. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42528333.
Lundanes J, Fischer AS, Dankel SN, Holst JJ, Martins C, Nymo S. Glucose and insulin dynamics following low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets in females with lipedema and obesity. Front. Cell Dev. Biol. Accepted.
Mensah D, Everett A, Mensah P, Fouts A, Hoelscher G, Judd S, Garvey WT, Bahorski J, Chandler-Laney P. Associations of Maternal Postpartum Weight Retention and Its Components With Child BMI z-Score by In Utero Exposure to Maternal Obesity and Gestational Diabetes. Childhood Obesity. Accepted.
Steger FL, … Garvey WT, et al. Protocol for the CLOCKS study: A 4-arm randomized controlled trial testing the independent and combined effects of 2 chronotherapies—early time-restricted eating and daytime bright light therapy—in adults with type 2 diabetes. Nutr Res. 2026 Jul 17;153:142-159. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2026.07.006. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42594524.
Davis EN, Patel ZA, Kirchoff C, Peterson CM, Dutton GR, Contratto E, Schneider-Worthington CR. Understanding Postpartum Mothers' Perspectives of Chrononutrition Approaches: A Qualitative Study. J Acad Nutr Diet. Published online July 20, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2026.156393.
Drake CE, Gower B, Ashraf A, et al. Effects of a low-glycemic, moderately-carbohydrate restricted diet on hepatic lipid content and insulin sensitivity in adolescents with MASLD: protocol of a 6-month family-based, randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Nutrition. Published online 2026:1-23. doi:10.1017/S0007114526108058
Garvey WT. Shifting the goalposts in obesity drug development. Nat Med. 2026 Jun 23. doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04462-y. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42337103.
Schnell O, … Garvey T, et al. CVOT Summit Report 2025: advances along the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease continuum. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2026 May 6;25(1):142. doi:10.1186/s12933-026-03140-0. PMID: 42092956; PMCID: PMC13147710.
Arnett M … Finn A, et al. The Scientist Network for Advancing Policy (SNAP): building infrastructure for early-career scientists in policy and public engagement. BioScience, 2026; biag053. doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biag053.
Garvey T with the American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee for Obesity. Screening, Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Staging of Obesity in Adults: Standards of Care in Overweight and Obesity-2026. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2026 Jun 4;13(Suppl 1):e006247. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2026-006247. PMID: 42242835; PMCID: PMC13266248.
Porrill SL, Allendorfer JB, Evancho AM, Ferguson CC, et al. Effects of self-selected music on psychophysiological responses to goal-directed exercise in Parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2026; 7:1778451. doi:10.3389/fresc.2026.1778451.
Yurchishin ML, Finn AR, Fowler LA, Vere-Whiting SL, Gower BA. Greater reduction in the proinsulin-C-peptide ratio with a ketogenic vs control diet in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of the Endocrine Society, Volume 10, Issue 5, May 2026, bvag073. doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvag073.
Recent Recognition
Barbara Gower, PhD, was appointed University Professor in Nutrition Sciences by the Board of Trustees.
Lizzy Davis, PhD, RDN, received the 2026 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Health Professions.
Jim Hill, PhD, was named Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Sciences by the Board of Trustees.
Katy Whyte, PhD, RDN, was selected as the NORC Named New Investigator for 2026–2027.
Recent Grants Awarded
Pilot Trial of a Scalable Behavioral Program for Weight Loss Maintenance After GLP-1 and Anti-Obesity Medication Discontinuation. R01DK147319. PI: Holly Wyatt, MD
Acute Modulatory Role of Whole Grape Polyphenols on Room Calorimetry Derived Respiratory Exchange Ratio and Mitochondrial Function in Obesity. California Table Grapes Commission. PI: Katy Whyte, PhD, RDN
Metabolic Flexibility and Mitochondrial Phenotype During GLP-1-induced Weight Loss in Adults with Obesity. NORC and DRC Pilot and Feasibility Programs. Katy Whyte, PhD, RDN