In the project ''Identification of Gene Pathways Involved in Serotonergic Modulation of Body Weight'' under the leadership of Dr. Lipa Čičin-Šain, the RBI scientists will try to provide an answer to the problem of excessive body fat using an original experimental model of rats popularly called 'Zagreb serotonin rat' (Wistar-Zagreb 5HT rat). The model was a result of 20 years-serotonin research conducted by scientists at the Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Molecular Neurobiology.

The TANITA Healthy Weight Community Trust is a non-profit, public fund established in 1994 by TANITA in cooperation with the government of Japan. The mission of the Trust has been to support scientific study aimed at combating obesity and other weight and body composition-related problems. Research grants are awarded to individuals or organizations conducting studies on the epidemiology of obesity, with the goal of combating the problem worldwide.