Grant Abstract: Pennington/Louisiana NORC

Grant Number: 5P30DK072476-19
PI Name: Redman
Project Title: Pennington/Louisiana NORC

Abstract: This is an application for a 5-year competitive renewal of the Pennington/Louisiana Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC). The role of the NORC is to promote, facilitate and enhance collaborative and multi-disciplinary interactions to foster new research ideas and programs in nutrition and obesity. In doing so, the NORC facilitates and enhances the translation of basic nutritional research findings into the clinical arena and ultimately into practical applications. Since its inception in 2005, our research base funding has steadily grown to >$44 million per year in direct costs and 146 members including 63 Regular Members (part of the research base funding), 70 Collaborating Members (collaborate with our regular members) and 13 Mentored Members (Early Stage Investigators working under the mentorship of NORC members). The Center provides a stable administrative infrastructure and exemplary facilities. NORC members have access to three state-of-the-art biomedical cores to conduct their research with the highest rigorous standards; a “Human Phenotyping Core”, a “Molecular Mechanism Core” and an “Animal Model and Phenotyping Core”. Moreover, our vibrant and successful Pilot & Feasibility Grant Program provides Early Career Investigators with seed funding to jump-start innovative research programs and generate the necessary preliminary data for larger grant applications. Finally, our NORC Enrichment Program provides outstanding training opportunities and mentoring activities to junior scientists which extends to nutrition and obesity researchers across the entire state of Louisiana. The central theme of our NORC is “Nutrition, Obesity and Metabolic Health through the Lifespan”. To impact the prevention and treatment of obesity and its metabolic complications across the lifespan (from maternal nutrition to older age physical/cognitive functionality) through better nutrition, lifestyle modifications, and medical treatments, we have developed three translational research teams. These Translational Research Teams will address big research questions from the basic science level, to clinical investigation and finally implementation to the population. In each of these teams, research focuses on the mechanisms involved in health and disease, the development of treatment interventions and the implementation of preventive strategies. After 15 years of operation, the Pennington/Louisiana NORC with unwavering institutional support has never been as well- positioned to advance the science of nutrition and obesity on so many fronts and to foster the next generation of leaders in this field. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: (OVERALL PENNINGTON/LOUISIANA NORC) Obesity and the resulting metabolic consequences are major drivers for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and considerably increase risks for cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, many forms of cancers and other chronic diseases. The Pennington/Louisiana Nutrition Obesity Research Center is formulated around three scientific cores that create opportunities to perform innovative research with a true potential to advance the field of “nutrition, obesity, and metabolic health through the lifespan”.

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