Latest from NORC

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Family and Community Medicine’s Vice Chair for Research Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., is partnering with investigators at the University of Mississippi Medical Center to lead a $3.6 million study to develop a sustainable and effective Type 2 diabetes management intervention in adults who have Type 2 diabetes and sub-optimal social determinants of health.

A University of Alabama at Birmingham researcher has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate if home-based, high-intensity interval exercise training can improve cardiometabolic health in patients with longstanding spinal cord injury.

In a recently published study, Vera Bittner, M.D., a professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Cardiovascular Disease, and colleagues have demonstrated that weight cycling is associated with a lower rate of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in women with suspected ischemia, such as stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

The NORC and the UAB Department of Microbiology together named Lyse Norian, PhD, DNS associate professor, and Jeremy Foote, DVM, PhD, associate professor of microbiology, recipients of a $50,000 2022–2023 pilot award for their application “Targeted Inhibition of Oncogenic KRAS in Lean and Obese Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Tumor Immune Microenvironment.” The goal of the pilot award is encourage partnerships between Microbiology and the NORC.

Soft drink consumption is a likely predictor of aggressive behavior, according to a new study from UAB.

Tiffany Carson, PhD (Assistant Professor, Preventive Medicine) will lead both a randomized controlled trial of a stress management-enhanced behavioral weight loss intervention among adult black females, and a study of diet on gut microbiota and other physiologic markers among racially diverse adults.

Monica Baskin, Ph.D., professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Preventive Medicine, was recently installed as president of Jefferson County Health Action Partnership.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are recruiting participants for a new study that investigates whether intermittent fasting or calorie restriction, i.e., losing weight, can slow the aging process and make people younger.

Learn more about bariatric (weight loss) surgery at UAB Medicine.

Nutrition researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are recruiting participants for a new study on a sustainable intervention for patients with Type 2 diabetes, or high blood sugar — weight-maintaining low glycemic diets.

New research presented by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers shows that a 2.4mg dose of the obesity drug semaglutide can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, or T2D, by 60 percent.

A study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham has shown that frequent soft drink consumption by adolescents may contribute to aggressive behavior over time.

Jayme Locke, M.D., has been named director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Transplant Institute.

Alabama, a state with many counties in the United States Diabetes Belt, saw an increase in new-onset Type 2 diabetes among youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed the significant increase and indicated that Medicaid enrollees and males were disproportionately affected by the disease.

A new study, published in Nutrition and Metabolism, from researchers with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Nutrition Obesity Research Center observed improvements in body composition, fat distribution and metabolic health in response to an eight-week, very low-carbohydrate diet.

Aaron Fobian, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, has been given the prestigious designation of Rising Star by the Association of Psychological Science.

Aging is a fact of life. Each year, a person finds themselves hitting new age milestones, decades and life seasons, all of which bring about physical, emotional and cognitive changes. In looking at aging, overwhelming evidence shows healthy lifestyle habits can improve a person’s well-being, ultimately making a difference in their quality of life throughout their lifespan.

Staying hydrated is critical, especially in hotter weather, but do we really have to drink 8 cups of water a day to stay hydrated?

"Casey Morrow, Ph.D., and Ranjit Kumar, Ph.D."

Using a unique bioinformatics technique developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB researchers have detected the emergence of new strains of microbes in the human fecal microbiota after obesity surgery.

High blood pressure — hypertension — is the leading underlying cause of death worldwide. More than 1.25 billion people have hypertension, including more than 100 million Americans. Most people worldwide eat more salt than recommended, too. Is there a connection?

The UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) selects Glenn Rowe, Ph.D. as this year’s Named New Investigator.

UAB's Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) will fund up to 6-7 nutrition-related P/F studies at up to $35,000/year. The second year of funding is possible through a competitive renewal process.

We are excited to announce a joint pilot with Microbiology, please see below for the link to the Microbiology/Nutritional & Obesity Research Center (NORC) Pilot grant RFA and the REDCAP portal to submit the pilot project. The pilot grant will be for $50,000 and is for a collaboration between a faculty member in Microbiology and a member of the NORC. Pilot projects are meant to generate preliminary data that can be used in competitive grant applications to the NIH, NSF or other extramural funding agencies.

Research project looks to understand how exercise affects your body all the way down to your molecules

Researchers want to know what happens in your body at the molecular level when you exercise. In the largest exercise research program of its kind, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are part of a National Institutes of Health effort to collect and turn data from nearly 2,600 volunteers into comprehensive maps of the molecular changes in the body due to exercise.

James O. Hill, Ph.D., an internationally recognized expert in weight management, has been named chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Nutrition Sciences and director of the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center.

In a new supplement to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have identified complex contributors to obesity and obesity-related health disparities and propose strategies for improving the well-being of populations impacted by these disparities.

UAB screening for two web-based healthy lifestyle trials

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is now recruiting cancer survivors in Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee for two new, web-based healthy lifestyle trials.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, in collaboration with researchers at Indiana University-Bloomington, have received an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the association between obesity and longevity and why some people are more susceptible to the health consequences of obesity compared to others.

Camille Worthington, PhD, RDN, LDN has been selected as this year’s Named New Investigator for the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC). The center leadership selects from among funded pilot/feasibility recipients and then receives approval from the UAB NORC External Advisory Committee prior to formally making the appointment.

Eating right and eating smart during COVID-19

Many Americans are playing it safe and practicing social distancing and self-isolation as they try to limit the spread of germs during the COVID-19 pandemic. But being cooped up at home may mean that eating, especially eating snacks and junk food, is the way many people will occupy the time they work from home or spend with loved ones.

Greg Pavela, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will serve as the chair-elect and later chair of the Ethics Section for the American Public Health Association.

A novel therapy developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham ameliorates obesity and Type 2 diabetes in mice fed a high-fat diet. The therapy acts through sustained release of nitric oxide, a gaseous signaling chemical whose most important function in the body is relaxing the inner muscles of blood vessels.

The study observed two diet types to test their impact on adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A new study from researchers with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Nutrition Sciences suggests consumption of a moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet may result in decreased fatty liver tissue, as well as improvements in body composition and insulin resistance, in adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham has found that ketone supplementation decreased body fat and body weight in mice placed on a high-fat diet. The findings could have implications for an alternative to low-carbohydrate, high-fat ketogenic diets to help lower body fat and weight.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of more than a half million deaths in the United States in 2019. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have launched a study in a subset of patients — obese individuals who experience high blood pressure at nighttime.

People who spent all of their childhood and early adulthood in the Stroke Belt are more likely to develop cognitive impairment later in life compared to those who did not, according to a new study led by researchers at the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Valene Garr Barry, MS, a trainee in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Nutrition Sciences Ph.D. program and Pre-doctoral Trainee in the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) was recently recognized for submitting a top-scoring abstract to The Obesity Society (TOS). In mid-November, she will present findings from a dietary intervention study in a poster titled, “Greater loss of central adiposity from low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diet in middle-aged adults,” at the meeting in Nashville, TN.

New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Nutrition Sciences is shedding light on why weight loss may take longer than expected, due to an exaggerated reduction in energy expenditure below predicted values (metabolic adaptation) in women with overweight.

Hot sauce may burn the tongue, but the inner fire of inflammation brings real damage.

Ganesh Halade, Ph.D., left, and Yabing Chen, Ph.D.

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers Yabing Chen, Ph.D., and Ganesh Halade, Ph.D., have won 2018 “best paper” awards from the not-for-profit Science Unbound Foundation.

Ketones are among the most underappreciated byproducts of human metabolism — they play a vital role in extending the survival of humans in the absence of food. Additionally, ketones have emerged as a practical and effective dietary approach to weight loss and maintenance. The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Eric Plaisance, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Human Studies in the School of Education, explains how the ketogenic diet produces health benefits.

On Jan. 10, three wellness experts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham answered questions about setting goals, sticking to them and more through UAB News’ first Twitter Q&A session of 2020.

Beetroot juice is believed to help with cognitive function, lower blood pressure and improve stamina during exercise because of the nitrates in the vegetable that aid the body in better utilizing oxygen. A new study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is recruiting participants for a study that looks at beetroot juice components, dietary nitrate and antioxidants, and their independent effects on exercise tolerance and health benefits in individuals with obesity.

James O. Hill, Ph.D., chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Nutrition Sciences, has received a five-year, $10.8 million award as part of the Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH) study through the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program.

Gattadahalli M. Anantharamaiah, Ph.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, has been elected as a 2019 National Academy of Inventors fellow.

Women with ovarian or endometrial cancer who followed the ketogenic diet for 12 weeks lost more body fat and had lower insulin levels compared to those who followed the low-fat diet recommended by the American Cancer Society, according to a new study published by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Step on the scale each morning and what do you get? Over the next two years, UAB researchers are answering that question in a study testing the power of low-effort interventions to manage weight.

What you eat matters. Many studies have shown that the types of food you eat affect your health. But what about the timing? Scientists are just beginning to understand that when you eat may also make a difference.

Read more: To Fast or Not to Fast

Sarah Salvy, Ph.D. and Gareth Dutton, Ph.D.

Researchers with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Obesity Health Disparities Research Center will examine whether simple targeted interventions, focused on developing good habits — implemented at home — can be successful in reducing the number of children who are overweight.

From side, three black women are jogging on paved trail in Railroad Park, 2019

At the end of each holiday season, people set out to create new goals for the coming year as a new year presents a fresh start. Many health and exercise goals are created with the best of intentions but fall short in execution as people often overcommit those goals from the start, making them inevitably unattainable, unrealistic and easy to stop working toward.

After heart attack injury, several fatty-acid-derived bioactive molecules — including one called resolvin D1 — play an essential signaling role to safely clear inflammation and help repair heart muscle. The mechanism of how this resolution occurs is not well-understood.

Fasting for certain periods during the day can help people lose weight, which may lead to additional health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and diabetes risk. It was not known previously whether weight loss through fasting was directly related to these other health benefits.

The undue burden of obesity, diabetes and hypertension in the Deep South is a focus for the 2021 Marchase Award winner, Andrea Cherrington, M.D. The award celebrates and encourages interdisciplinary work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

In a recently published study in the Obesity Society’s peer-reviewed journal, Obesity, University of Alabama at Birmingham health disparities researchers have explored how understanding inequalities in wealth is important to addressing health disparities in health and obesity.

Bertha Hidalgo, Ph.D., has been elected to the American College of Epidemiology Board of Directors. The American College of Epidemiology is a professional organization that serves the interests of the profession and its members through advocating for issues pertinent to epidemiology, a credential-based admission and promotion process, sponsorship of scientific meetings, publications, and educational activities, and recognizing outstanding contributions to the field.

Overhead schoot of granola with nuts mix, yogurt, fresh berries and honey on blue plate voor healthy breakfast

Is eating breakfast really that important? Should you eat dinner early and go to bed on an empty stomach? Is intermittent fasting good for you? These are age-old questions that researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are hoping to answer. UAB has launched two studies, one with people with Type 2 diabetes and one with people who are overweight, to find out whether changing when you eat can make you healthier.

Anupam Agarwal, M.D., will become the next president of the American Society of Nephrology on Jan. 1, 2020, for a one-year term. The organization is made up of more than 20,000 health professionals from 131 countries.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found that a plant-based diet is more effective in preventing breast cancer later in life for the child if the mother consumed broccoli while pregnant. The 2018 study out of the UAB College of Arts and Sciences and Comprehensive Cancer Center used epigenetics — the study of biological mechanisms that will switch genes on and off — as a mechanism to identify ways we can change human gene expressions in fatal diseases, including breast cancer.

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that nearly 40 percent of young adults without diabetes experience insulin resistance, a condition in which the body does not respond correctly to insulin and is unable to use glucose from the blood for energy.

Mike Wyss, Ph.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, has received the 2019 Presidential Excellence Awards in Science, Mathematics and Engineering for Mentoring.

Stephen A Watts, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biology and Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC), has been selected to chair the organizing committee for the ORIP/DPCPSI/OD-NIH workshop on “Defining Nutrition in Zebrafish and other Biomedical Research Diets: Needs and Challenges.”

A clinical trial now enrolling at UAB is taking an unusual approach to help patients with Type 2 diabetes. Instead of medications, the study is using diet alone to improve blood sugar control and remodel the body “by re-partitioning energy away from metabolically harmful lipid stores,” said Barbara Gower, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences.

"Sue Feldman, Ph.D., and Kristi Menear, Ph.D."

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Kristi Menear, Ph.D., and Sue Feldman, Ph.D., recently completed the Higher Education Resource Services program, a leadership development and research organization dedicated to women in higher education.

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees awarded the rank of Distinguished Professor to five faculty during its meeting on June 8.

Do you ever notice that sometimes you eat when you are not actually hungry? Or that, all of a sudden, you can be “hangry”? If so, it is likely you are missing your body’s hunger cues.

UAB is a unique place, says Barbara Gower, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for Research in the School of Health Professions Department of Nutrition Sciences. But not just because the university brought in nearly $300 million in NIH funding this past year, or because our orthopaedic surgeons offer total knee replacements without an overnight hospital stay for some patients.

Twelve faculty have been selected to receive the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, which honors those who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in teaching. They will be recognized during the annual Faculty Convocation to be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Doubletree Hotel.

Vibhu Parcha, M.D., and Pankaj Arora, M.D. (Photography: Aubrey Joyner and Andrea Mabry)

A recent study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows the cluster of states that make up the stroke belt in the Southeastern United States has a 16 percent higher death rate due to cardiovascular causes compared to the rest of the country. The researchers project that this rate will continue in the coming decade unless more than 100,000 cardiac deaths are prevented in the region.

"Gareth Dutton, PhD, and Kevin Fontaine, PhD""

Will weighing yourself every day help you lose weight? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham received a $2.7 million R01 grant to study middle-aged adults to see if daily self-weighing will help them lose or manage their weight.

Bertha Hidalgo, Ph.D., MPH, will join the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Board of External Experts. The Board of External Experts provides input on the NHLBI’s strategic research priorities and guidance on scientific opportunities.

When you work out, do you drop the pounds or get so hungry you only gain more? Are you one of those people who would benefit from a protein-rich diet, or should you cut carbs instead? Maybe you should add vegetables and other healthy options?

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered that meal timing strategies — like intermittent fasting or eating earlier in the daytime — appear to help people lose weight.

Obesity is a medical problem that can have wide-ranging mental and physical effects on a person. Pamela Bass knows that firsthand, but thanks to the University of Alabama at Birmingham surgeons, she has a new lifestyle and a new state of mind.

W. Timothy Garvey, MD, Butterworth Professor of Medicine in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was chosen to receive the Master of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) award. The MACE award is the highest honor to be awarded by AACE, the country’s leading professional organization of clinical endocrinologists.

Jeralyn Langford, was awarded the title of first place winner for Health Sciences research presentation in the 25th Annual SAEOPP McNair/SSS Scholars Research Conference for her oral presentation entitled, “Association of Dietary Pattern with In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) Outcomes.”

Shima Dowla, an M.D./Ph.D. student at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, is one of 100 doctoral students in the U. S. and Canada selected to receive a $15,000 Scholar Award from the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She was sponsored by the Alabama State Chapter.

Trygve Tollefsbol, Ph.D., D.O., was named Distinguished Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology. Tollefsbol, ranked among the top three authors internationally in the field of cancer epigenetics, came to UAB in 1998 and has published more than 145 peer-reviewed research papers, 28 book chapters and 17 books on topics such as diet, epigenetics and cancer prevention.

Dr. Kevin Fontaine, Professor, and Chair, in the Department of Health Behavior, and Dr. Gareth Dutton, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, were awarded a Research Project Grant (R01) of $2.7 million from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

David Sears — before and after his participation at the UAB Weight Loss Clinic.

To celebrate his 10-year wedding anniversary, David Sears, a weekend radio host on Birmingham’s Jox 94.5 and assistant program director of Talk 99.5, planned a special vacation back to Disney World, where he and his wife had honeymooned. The trip started off well until Sears started noticing a rash on his leg. After a few days, the rash intensified and became so painful that he had to seek immediate medical attention.

From September 10 to October 1, 2021, the UAB School of Public Health will offer a remote, NIH-funded R25 short course in partnership with the Indiana University School of Public Health. The course is titled Causal Inference in Behavioral Obesity Research. Dr. Kevin Fontaine, Professor, and Chair of the UAB School of Public Health’s Department of Health Behavior is the UAB Principal Investigator, and several other School of Public Health faculty will contribute to the course.

In the first clinical trial of its kind, researchers hope to discover whether following the ketogenic diet will help patients with acute spinal cord injuries regain sensory and motor functions faster than those who do not follow the diet.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers are trying to find out whether changing a person’s eating schedule can help them lose weight and burn fat.

Written by: American Heart Association

Regularly eating a Southern-style diet may increase the risk of sudden cardiac death, while routinely consuming a Mediterranean diet may reduce that risk, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access journal of the American Heart Association.

University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, the Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences, has been selected to receive the 2018 Mary P. Huddleson Award.

Aaron Fobian, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, has been named the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama Young Professional of the Year.

May 18, 2021

Sonia Fargue, PhD has been selected as this year’s Named New Investigator for the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC). The center leadership selects from among funded pilot/feasibility recipients and then receives approval from the UAB NORC External Advisory Committee prior to formally making the appointment.

Fernando Ovalle, M.D., has been named director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has served as interim director of the division since 2018.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released their new guidelines for medical nutrition therapy in HIV care titled "Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Nutrition Intervention and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection,” with Amanda Willig, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Infectious Diseases, serving as the guideline’s lead author.

A series of studies recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers describes the reasons behind low levels of natriuretic peptides in obese individuals. NPs are beneficial hormones produced by the heart that are responsible for the regulation of blood pressure and the overall cardiovascular and metabolic health of humans. This study also addresses how the disturbance of an individual’s day-night, or diurnal, rhythm of these hormones contributes to poor cardiovascular health in obese individuals.

William Grizzle, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Anatomic Pathology, was recognized recently by the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories with the 2019 Founder’s Award.

UAB’s School of Public Health welcomes Cora Elizabeth (Beth) Lewis, MD, MSPH, as the new Chair of the Department of Epidemiology beginning April 1, 2018.

Amy Goss, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Nutrition Sciences, has received a $3 million R01 grant to implement a family-based diet intervention to treat fatty liver disease and obesity in adolescents.

Jianyi Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, was recently inducted to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows.

Dr. Olivia Affuso is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UAB School of Public Health, an Associate Scientist in the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center and the Center for Exercise Medicine.

Jennifer Pollock, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is the new president of the American Physiological Society. Pollock was elected by APS membership and takes office April 30, 2021.

Bertha Hidalgo, Ph.D., MPH, assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology, was recognized with the Early Career Achievement Award at the 2019 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Connections capstone symposium.

More than 35 percent of American adults are considered obese, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With so much emphasis put on weight and healthy living, many people turn to “quick-fix” or fad diets that promise rapid weight loss and a new waistline in a short amount of time.

High consumption at night of branch chain amino acids — found in meats, eggs, fish and nuts — could negatively impact the heart

A new study published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers shows that an increase in the consumption of branch chain amino acids later in the day could result in a negative effect on cardiovascular health.

University of Alabama at Birmingham Jessica Hoffman, Ph.D., and Steven Austad, Ph.D. aging expert — and once-upon-a-time lion trainer — Steven Austad, Ph.D., and UAB postdoctoral fellow in longevity research Jessica Hoffman, Ph.D., have won the George C. Williams prize from the International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, or ISEMPH.

Adults who are 45 years old or older and who consume large amounts of sugary beverages, including soft drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices, may have a higher risk of dying from heart disease or other causes, compared to those who drink fewer sugary drinks, according to new research.

The National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases has awarded Jayme Locke, M.D., MPH, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Transplant Institute and Division of Transplantation, a five-year R01 grant amounting to approximately $3.2 million.

A change in diet can reduce the intense pain caused by knee osteoarthritis, the most prominent form of arthritis, according to research findings published this week in the journal Pain Medicine.

Pankaj Arora, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease, has been selected to serve as section editor for Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

One of the most pronounced health disparities in the United States may also be one of the most visible: Black women are more likely than any other segment of the population to be obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 38% of European Americans, male and female, are obese. The rate is 37% for African American men. For African American women: 55%.

University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor Monica L. Baskin, Ph.D., has been selected president-elect of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

Chris Radlicz, M.S., M.P.H, a former pre-doctoral fellow of UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center, was recently awarded a summer position at Harvard Medical School through the 2018 Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program. This nationally competitive program is sponsored by the American Federation for Aging Research and receives funding through the National Institute on Aging.

Ceren Yarar-Fisher, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, received the Junior Chamber International 2020 Ten Young Outstanding People of Turkey in Academic Leadership and Accomplishment Award.

Michael Saag, M.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for AIDS Research and professor in the School of Medicine, has been appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council of HIV/AIDS (PACHA). He was sworn in March 14.

Chris Radlicz, M.S., M.P.H, a former pre-doctoral fellow at the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center, has been selected as one of ASN’s 2018-2019 Science Policy Fellows. His term will begin on April 1, 2018, and last for one year.

For decades, Americans have fought a losing battle with obesity. Between 1960 and 2010, the prevalence of adult obesity in the United States nearly tripled, to 36% from 13%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It isn’t as if many Americans don’t recognize the problem. According to 2018 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, just under half of adults in the United States (49.1%) tried to lose weight in the prior 12 months. Nevertheless, according to CDC data, the obesity rate that year rose to a record 42.4%.

Growing older and a high-fat diet enriched with omega 6 fatty acids are major contributors to health risks ranging from diabetes to heart failure. How these two factors regulate the immune response is not well-understood.

Members of the "Jardin du coeur" association pick vegetables at a garden in Francheville near Lyon November 26, 2013. REUTERS/Robert Pratta

For cancer survivors, three seasons of home vegetable gardening may increase physical activity, fruits, and vegetables in the diet and also enhance feelings of self-worth, researchers say.

In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers, findings indicate that among patients with heart failure, obesity is associated with a higher risk of heart failure hospitalization or death due to cardiac causes. However, achieving biomarker-based treatment goals in heart failure improves the prognosis for patients irrespective of their obesity status.

Four individuals and one student organization were honored with the President’s Diversity Champion Award Feb. 21. The annual award recognizes employees, students and organizations that have helped create a more culturally diverse, inclusive university community through their achievements.

Before and after photo of Lorna Shelton, 58, who weighed nearly 250 pounds. She lost over 50 pounds in one year with time restricted feeding.

A growing number of researchers say limiting the hours during the day when you eat, focusing more on the timing of meals instead of calories, can help dieters burn more fat, improve their health and lose weight.

The Graduate School recognized five doctoral students and five master’s students as recipients of the 2021 UAB Samuel B. Barker Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies.

Sarah Deemer, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the NORC and Department of Nutrition Sciences, was awarded 1st place for “Exogenous Dietary Ketone Esters Decrease Body Weight and Adiposity in Mice Housed at Thermoneutrality.”

With low birth rates, the sustainability of a zoo African elephant population is in question. A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers reveals that there is no relationship between how fat a zoo African elephant is and her reproductive cycling status.

Drew Sayer, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences, has been named the inaugural Ronald L. and David B. Allison Endowed Scholar. This award was established to provide support for junior faculty within the department who do not yet have RO1 funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Findings published in the January issue of the peer-reviewed American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology suggest there is no improvement in pregnancy outcomes for obese women who receive early gestational diabetes screening.

NIDDK Medical Student Research Program Symposium

The UAB Diabetes Research Center (DRC) (P30 DK-079626) and the Student Research Training Program (T32 DK-062710) are sponsoring summer research fellowship opportunities for medical students interested in performing diabetes-related research between their freshman and sophomore years.

Bertha Hidalgo, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has received a grant of more than $300,000 from Research Goes Red, an initiative by the American Heart Association Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine.

Ambika Ashraf, M.D., has been named director of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama.

More investigators are exploring ways to improve the health of minority and underserved populations. Since 2005, the MHERC has provided $4.1 million in seed money to 88 investigators through pilot research awards. This investment has resulted in a return of $118.5 million in extramural funding (1:29 ratio).

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