Rebecca Krukowski
University of Virginia, VA·Public Health & Epidemiology
A new generation of anti-obesity medications (AOMs), such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, has transformed obesity treatment. In clinical trials, these drugs were always paired with lifestyle coaching.
- Fields
Public Health & Epidemiology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Psychology
- Topics
obesity
weight loss
semaglutide
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jun 2031
What they work on
- Test the effect of five lifestyle components on 12-month weight loss in 608 adults taking second-generation anti-obesity medications, using a 2x2x2x2x2 factorial trial. The components are an education session, phone coaching, and digital diet, activity and weight self-monitoring.
- Build an optimized, cost-informed behavioral program by measuring the costs of each component and keeping only those that meaningfully add to weight loss.
- Explore whether sex, race/ethnicity, age, income, rurality, nutrition literacy, social support and medication type or dose change which intervention components work best for subgroups.
- Examine weight loss maintenance at 24 months, along with body composition, quality of life, adherence, and weight regain among participants who stop their medication.
More about the research
In everyday clinics, however, patients usually get little follow-up beyond dose adjustments and side-effect checks. It is unclear whether patients on these drugs benefit from behavioral support, and if so, how much and what kind.
Why it matters
Millions of adults now take drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide, often with little behavioral support. This trial could show which low-cost lifestyle components actually improve and sustain weight loss alongside these medications, and for whom. The results could guide clinicians and future obesity treatment guidelines toward cost-effective care.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Carmen Samuel-Hodge
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC·Public Health & Epidemiology
Identify which combination of four family-centered components (session number, in-person vs. online delivery, communication/conflict training, cohesion training) produces the most weight loss at 6 months, using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST).
Sophie Ravanbakht
Duke University, NC·Public Health & Epidemiology·Early-career
Characterize lifestyle behaviors, medication adherence barriers and support needs of adolescents on obesity medications through surveys and semi-structured interviews with teens, caregivers and clinicians.
Danielle Jake-Schoffman
University of Florida, FL·Public Health & Epidemiology
Refine the FamilyCollab smartwatch app, which supports parent-child goal setting, shared real-time exercise and reflection, through two rounds of usability studies with 12 parent-child pairs.
The school
University of Virginia: 43 labs on PI Pages, $814M a year on research, 413 research doctorates a year.
Reach out
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