His research on various aspects of obesity received national attention in late 1994, when it was announced that he and his colleagues had isolated the mouse ob gene and its human homologue.
Penelitiannya pada berbagai aspek obesitas menerima perhatian nasional pada akhir 1994 ketika diumumkan bahwa ia dan koleganya berhasil mengisolasi gen obesitas tikus dan homolognya pada manusia.