Rachel L. Batterham
Alma materImperial College London
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University College London
ThesisThe role of peptide YY in the regulation of food intake (2004)

Rachel Louise Batterham OBE is a British physician who is a professor of Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology at University College London. She established the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Bariatric Centre for Weight Management and Metabolic Surgery. She has extensively studied obesity, and has contributed to clinical management and the understanding of obesity-related diseases.

Early life and education

Batterham was an undergraduate medical student at Imperial College London, where she was based at St Mary's Hospital. She completed her speciality training in diabetes and endocrinology. As part of her training, she became particularly interested in obesity. After her residency, she worked toward a master's degree in biochemistry. She eventually completed a doctorate in the regulation of body weight.

Research and career

In 2005, Batterham was appointed a consultant at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where she set up a service for the management of obesity. She was eventually promoted to Professor of Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology, and appointed Obesity theme lead for the UCL National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre.[1]

Batterham identified that a genetic variation in the FTO gene can make people more likely to become obese.[2] People with the obesity-risk variant have higher circulating levels of ghrelin in their blood, which means that they feel hungry even after having a meal.[2][3]

In 2016, Batterham was awarded an Research Professorship by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).[4][5] She looked to improve the health of people with obesity.[4] Whilst bariatric surgery can cause long-term weight loss, it can be difficult to access and does not always improve human health.[4] Batterham sought to understand whether genotypes could be used to determine whether or not someone respond well to bariatric surgery.[6] She investigated whether exercise or pharmaceutical interventions could improve weight loss and health outcomes.[6][7] Batterhman believes that health inequalities perpetuate obesity amongst people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.[8]

Batterham founded the Obesity Empowerment Network in 2019.[9] The charity looks to empower and engage people of all ages who have obesity.[10] In 2022, she created a documentary on obesity and how the phenomenon can be addressed.[11]

Awards and honours

Selected publications

  • Rachel L Batterham; Michael A Cowley; Caroline J Small; et al. (1 August 2002). "Gut hormone PYY(3-36) physiologically inhibits food intake". Nature. 418 (6898): 650–654. doi:10.1038/NATURE00887. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 12167864. Wikidata Q34143493.
  • A M Wren; C J Small; C R Abbott; et al. (1 November 2001). "Ghrelin causes hyperphagia and obesity in rats". Diabetes. 50 (11): 2540–2547. doi:10.2337/DIABETES.50.11.2540. ISSN 0012-1797. PMID 11679432. Wikidata Q48731123.
  • Carel Le Roux; Simon J B Aylwin; Rachel L Batterham; et al. (1 January 2006). "Gut hormone profiles following bariatric surgery favor an anorectic state, facilitate weight loss, and improve metabolic parameters". Annals of Surgery. 243 (1): 108–114. doi:10.1097/01.SLA.0000183349.16877.84. ISSN 0003-4932. PMC 1449984. PMID 16371744. Wikidata Q47356520.

References

  1. ↑ "Professor Rachel Batterham". University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 "How 'obesity gene' triggers weight gain". UCL News. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  3. ↑ "New Targets for Obesity". LMS London Institute of Medical Sciences. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "NIHR Research Professorship". UCL Division of Medicine. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Current NIHR Research Professors". www.nihr.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Maximizing the health benefits obtained from bariatric surgery". UCL Division of Medicine. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Major Grants from 1st August 2013". UCL Division of Medicine. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Health inequalities and obesity". RCP London. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "Meet our team". Obesity Empowerment Network. 5 June 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "Obesity Empowerment Network". Obesity Empowerment Network. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  11. ↑ "RCP premieres new hard-hitting documentary on obesity". RCP London. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "At the Limits". Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  13. ↑ Abstracts of the 4th annual scientific meeting of the British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS), 24-25 January 2013, Glasgow. British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society. OCLC 840431375.
  14. ↑ "Professor Rachel Batterham wins Andre Mayer award | UCLH Biomedical Research Centre". www.uclhospitals.brc.nihr.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "For more events and to book online, please visit www.rsm.ac.uk/diary". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 111 (3): 104–105. March 2018. doi:10.1177/0141076818761248. ISSN 0141-0768. PMC 5846947.
  16. ↑ "Crick lecture: Rachel Batterham". Crick. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  17. ↑ "UCL staff and alumni recognised in Queen's Jubilee Birthday Honours". UCL News. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
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