Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have secured a $5.9 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to launch the Houston Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (H-NORC). The funding, which will be distributed over five years, is intended to support research in obesity and nutritional sciences by offering specialized resources, services, and expertise.
The new center will feature three biomedical research cores focused on clinical and translational obesity research, cellular and molecular metabolism, and neuroendocrine studies. In addition to its research initiatives, H-NORC will provide an enrichment program aimed at training, mentoring, and developing future leaders in the field.
Dr. Mark Herman, section chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Baylor College of Medicine, is serving as co-principal investigator alongside Dr. Kristin Eckel-Mahan from UT Health Houston. The leadership team also includes Drs. Sean Hartig, Benjamin Arenkiel, Stephanie Sisley, Chunmei Wang, and Samer Mattar.
H-NORC’s affiliations extend across several institutions in Houston: University of Texas Health Science Center Houston; Ben Taub Hospital; Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center; Michael E. DeBakey VA Hospital; USDA/ARS Children’s Research Nutrition Center; and Texas Children’s Hospital.
“Our unique combination of clinical endocrinologists, nutrition scientists, neuroscientists and molecular biologists coupled with our outstanding research and clinical facilities make H-NORC the ideal structure to fulfill our mission and address the need for new therapies for patients with obesity and/or nutrition-related diseases,” Herman said. “We are excited to grow our network of clinicians and basic scientists and look forward to many fruitful collaborations in the future.”
