Dr. Sarah Jenkins, PhD

Research Focus

Dr. Jenkins leads the Institute's pharmacotherapy review programme, directing evidence synthesis in incretin-based obesity treatments and gastrointestinal lipase inhibitors. Her work bridges mechanistic pharmacology and clinical implementation: she has published extensively on the translation of GLP-1 receptor agonist trial data into real-world prescribing frameworks, with particular attention to patient selection, tolerability management, and long-term durability of pharmacological weight loss.

Her current research programme focuses on three converging areas: the comparative effectiveness of GLP-1 and dual GIP/GLP-1 co-agonists in subpopulations defined by metabolic phenotype; the neurobiological mechanisms underlying weight regain following pharmacotherapy discontinuation; and patient safety risks associated with the proliferation of unverified online sources for prescription anti-obesity medications. This last line of work feeds directly into AMRI's drug-sourcing verification guidance, developed in collaboration with FDA regulatory science advisors.

Academic Background

Dr. Jenkins completed her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at the University of Michigan, graduating with distinction. Her doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine examined the transcriptional regulation of hypothalamic appetite circuits, with a thesis exploring how leptin-deficiency states alter GLP-1 receptor expression in the arcuate nucleus — work that would prove prescient given the subsequent decade of interest in central incretin signalling.

Following her PhD, she undertook postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School's Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, where she transitioned from basic mechanistic work into clinical pharmacology and health outcomes research. Her postdoctoral fellowship included a two-year secondment to the Brigham and Women's Hospital clinical trials unit, where she contributed to the STEP and LEADER trial data analysis programmes.

She joined AMRI in 2017 as a Senior Research Fellow, was promoted to Lead Researcher in 2020, and serves on the Institute's Editorial Review Board. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the Department of Pharmacology at Boston University School of Medicine.

Selected Publications and Editorial Work

• Jenkins S, et al. "Durability of GLP-1 receptor agonist-induced weight loss: a systematic review of discontinuation studies." Obesity Reviews, 2024.
• Jenkins S, Morrison HL, Park JW. "Neuroimaging correlates of reduced food reward salience following high-dose semaglutide: a prospective observational cohort." Nature Metabolism [under review], 2025.
• Jenkins S, et al. "Real-world adherence and persistence with liraglutide 3.0 mg versus semaglutide 2.4 mg: a US claims data analysis." Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2023.
• Jenkins S. "The hypothalamic incretin axis: GLP-1R beyond the pancreas." Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 2022.
• Jenkins S, Alvarez CE. "Orlistat in the era of incretin therapies: reassessing a 25-year pharmacological legacy." Clinical Obesity, 2024.

Publication list is illustrative. For a complete list of AMRI publications, see our research archive.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Dr. Jenkins discloses no financial relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers of anti-obesity medications or any other commercial entities whose products she reviews. She receives no speaking fees, advisory board compensation, or research funding from industry sources for work conducted under AMRI auspices. This disclosure is updated annually and reviewed by the Institute's Editorial Board. Institutional funding sources for AMRI research programmes are listed in the Conflict of Interest Policy.

Peer Review Methodology

All AMRI publications reviewed or authored by Dr. Jenkins undergo a structured evidence-grading process aligned with GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) methodology. Primary endpoint data are sourced directly from published trial reports and, where accessible, clinicaltrials.gov result datasets. Statistical claims are independently verified against original source tables before publication. Where data are illustrative or derived from pooled estimates, this is explicitly noted in the article.