Latest from NORC - Nutrition Obesity Research Center

Distinguished Professor Steven Austad, Ph.D., Protective Life Endowed Chair in Healthy Aging Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has been awarded the inaugural George M. Martin Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award, honoring his role in transferring knowledge and leaderships skills to mentees in aging research.

When he was a boy growing up in public housing in New York City, James Rimmer, Ph.D., spent most of his time outside. “When I was a young kid, everything in my universe was outdoor sports — stickball, handball, stoop ball, whatever you could do to keep yourself busy,” he said.

New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, shows that adults with Type 2 diabetes who follow a low-carbohydrate diet might experience improvements in their beta-cell function, potentially helping them manage their condition more effectively and potentially reduce or eliminate the need for medication.

The fall and winter months are an exciting season as people of all ages celebrate many holidays. Throughout this time of year, sugary foods are prominent at parties or while trick-or-treating. This often leads to the question “how much sugar is too much?”

Good nutrition involves eating a healthy and balanced diet to ensure the body gets the nutrients it needs to function well. While nutrition is important at all stages of life, experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham say nutrition during pregnancy is especially important and making healthier food choices every day will help keep both the mother and the baby healthy.

A bad night of sleep can make it hard to get up in the morning and can cause the mid-afternoon slump to hit even harder. A recent study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham published in Journal of the American Medicine Association Neurology showed that body mass index and total body fat percentage affect how a poor night of sleep will impact a teenager’s level of cognitive functioning.

Gardening is a great way to get outdoors and soak in vitamin D while also providing fresh vegetables to enjoy. Dietary guidelines recommend adults eat 2-3 cups of vegetables daily to prevent obesity and cardiovascular diseases and help with immune function. Because of this, eating ample amounts of vegetables is even more important for those who have had cancer.

It is one of the most controversial issues in the obesity field: a concept that goes by many names, including metabolic adaptation, adaptive thermogenesis and, most snappy of all, “hibernation mode.”

UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) Associate Director W. Timothy Garvey, M.D., and collaborators recently published “Cardiometabolic Disease Staging and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Event Prediction in 2 Prospective Cohorts” in the journal JACC: Advances.

Dr. Kathryn Kaiser explains the importance of investigating genetic associations within demographic groups to better understand and address health disparities.

W. Timothy Garvey, M.D., and Andrea Cherrington, M.D.

University of Alabama at Birminghamresearchers recently presented NIH-funded findings regarding differences in medication acceptance, quality of life, insulin secretion, mortality and other outcomes among four commonly used Type 2 diabetes medications.

CEDHARS Director James Rimmer, Ph.D., received the 2024 Richard B. Marchase, Ph.D. Award, in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in fostering interdisciplinary research and a spirit of camaraderie. The award will be given as part of Core Day on January 9, 2024.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the leading underlying cause of death worldwide affecting more than 1.25 billion people, including more than 100 million Americans. Most people worldwide eat more salt than recommended.

Yabing Chen, Ph.D., has been awarded two National Institutes of Health grants totaling more than $5 million to further her research into vascular diseases ranging from hardening of the arteries to dementia.

UAB researchers, Naman Shetty, M.D., (left) and Pankaj Arora, M.D. (right)

Hypertension or high blood pressure is known to be more prevalent in men than in women. The reasons for this difference are not completely understood. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine reviewed nationwide data encompassing more than 200,000 individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to assess the role of genetics in the sex differences in hypertension in a recent study published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

Kidney stones get no respect — except from anyone who has ever had one. “Kidney stones are the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases,” said Dean Assimos, M.D., emeritus professor and founding chair of the Department of Urology at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

We are pleased to announce that the Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) was one of twenty-five University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers (UWIRCs) designated for FY 25. Every five years, a competitive application process leads to the awarding of UWIRC status and associated institutional funding. The designation as a center signifies institutional endorsement of a programmatic research capacity and represents a significant investment of expertise, collaborative energy, and resources.

Read more: NORC UWIRC Announcement

A new study from University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers highlights the impact of food security on college students’ health and well-being.

Casey D. Morrow, Ph.D. and Hyunmin Koo, Ph.D.

Fecal microbe transplants from healthy donors can treat patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. However, after tens of thousands transplants, little was known about which donor strains provide long-term engraftment, and which engraft early after the transplant. Most failures of fecal microbe transplantation occur in the first four weeks.

Naman Shetty, M.D., (right) and Pankaj Arora, M.D., (left)

Natriuretic peptides are hormones with a range of key functions vital for regulating cardiometabolic health, including regulating blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and increasing utilization of lipids and metabolism. However, the reference ranges of NPs and the prevalence of NP deficiency in the United States population have not been clearly defined. Physician-scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine used population-level data to define the reference range of NPs and the threshold for NP deficiency in a recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Heart Failure.

UAB diabetes expert serves up tailgating hacks to make football season fun and diabetes-friendly.

Fall in Alabama means the return of college football and the return of football enthusiasts’ second favorite fall tradition — tailgating.

B-type natriuretic peptide levels have played a vital role in diagnosing and prognosticating heart failure. However, physician-scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine have found that BNP levels may not be an effective prognostic tool in heart failure among patients with a ventricular assist device. Their study published in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that BNP levels were high in end-stage heart failure patients with cardiogenic shock, but lose their prognostic value in VAD recipients.

New findings from the University of Alabama at Birmingham indicate that the type of protein in the diet is not as important as the overall amount of weight loss for those with Type 2 diabetes.

Ever craved ice cream, chocolate, a bag of potato chips or something creamy? Over 90 percent of adults experience food cravings, causing them to snack on unhealthy foods high in sugar, salt or fat. Such unnecessary eating leads to a higher body mass index, contributing to weight gain in people with frequent cravings.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham will receive $36.7 million from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute within the National Institutes of Health to continue the Birmingham field and coordinating centers for the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Since the study began in 1985, CARDIA data have been published in over 1,000 papers that have generated nearly 58,000 citations.

Physician-scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine recently conducted a large-scale analysis to assess the impact of a newly introduced equation used to evaluate one’s heart failure risk. The study, published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure, showed that the new and old kidney function equations had comparable values in predicting the risk of heart failure.

Martin E. Young, D.Phil., was named Distinguished Professor in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Medicine. Young joined UAB in 2009 as an associate professor and currently serves as professor and the Jeanne V. Marks Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Disease, as well as associate director/senior scientist in the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center. He also is director of the Basic and Translational Science in Heart Failure T32 Program and co-director of the Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center.

The future has much potential as the REACH Up and Out program hopes to continue to make an impact on the lives of Black women in the Deep South.

Rural communities in the Deep South often lack healthy food options and fitness resources. The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Minority Health and Health Equity Research Center recently concluded a successful implementation of a transformative initiative to address health disparities and promote healthy eating and physical activity among Black women, ages 18 and older, living in rural Alabama and Mississippi.

Naman Shetty, M.D., and Pankaj Arora, M.D.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine have published a study in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology that reveals an alarming cardiovascular health trend in foreign-born Asian Americans — a startling 28 percent decline in CVH from 2011-2020. The findings also revealed a worsening of factors influencing CVH the longer they lived in the United States, likely due to developing poor health behaviors and dietary habits, according to the researchers.

Christine C. Ferguson, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow with the School of Health Professions Research Collaborative, and Daniel L. Smith, Jr., associate professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, receive the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) of Alabama’s Outstanding Academic Mentor Award.

Hyeyoung Nam, 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.

On the way in to work, you hear a depressing story on the news: All this new AI technology is supposed to eventually replace half of the jobs in America. What about yours? Or maybe you just got back your score on a test, one you had studied for long and hard, and you still barely passed. Is it possible you are just not cut out for this degree? Or perhaps it is something health-related instead: Your mother calls to say she has been diagnosed with a chronic disease. How will she pay for the treatments?

The National Institutes of Health is now enrolling for the NIH Common Fund’s Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and other partners. NPH — the largest precision nutrition effort of its kind — aims to engage a diverse group of participants to learn more about how our bodies respond differently to food.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Trygve Tollefsbol, Ph.D., professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biology, has spent nearly 20 years researching cancer prevention methods with his team. At the center of their research are the very things many young people avoid: vegetables.

Congratulations to Adam Wende, who won the 2023 Dean's Excellence in Mentorship Award, which recognizes full-time regular UAB faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments as mentors of graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows.

Alanis Stansberry, a second-year student in the UAB PhD in Nutrition Sciences program, has been selected as a 2023-2024 Fellow of Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama (ASF).

Most people know that women tend to live longer than men. This pattern has been observed since accurate birth records began to be kept some 300 years ago. But it is only over the past decade or so that researchers have documented that female/male lifespan divergence occurs on a grand scale across species.

There are roughly 5.5 million wheelchair users in the United States. Most live predominantly sedentary lifestyles, which leads to substantially higher cardiometabolic risk factors when compared to the general population. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are hoping to minimize some of these cardiometabolic risk factors through a new study.

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in youth is increasing in the United States, primarily among minorities, with Black and Hispanic youth showing the greatest increase. Neither the reason for the increase nor the mechanism underlying the disproportionate risk in minority youth is known.

The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s (ACRM) Spinal Cord Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group selected Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D. to receive the Margaret Nosek Award.

A new study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggests that what happens in the womb could determine whether the offspring will develop obesity or other metabolic diseases later in life.

"Steps are an easy way to measure physical activity, and more daily steps were associated with a lower risk of having a cardiovascular disease-related event in older adults,” said Erin E. Dooley, Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health and lead researcher of the study.

The Univeristy of Alabama at Birmingham’s Aaron Fobian, Ph.D., has been selected to receive the 2023 Donald K. Routh Early Career Award from the American Psychological Association’s Society of Pediatric Psychology.

Obese fruit flies are the experimental subjects in a Nature Communications study of the causes of muscle function decline due to obesity. In humans, skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in metabolism, and muscle dysfunction due to human obesity can lead to insulin resistance and reduced energy levels.

The Bachelor of Science in biobehavioral nutrition and wellness launched in fall 2021. It offers students the chance to “dive deep into the relationship between human health, mindfulness, nutrition, metabolism and food as medicine,” according to its website. Although many universities offer undergraduate nutrition degrees, UAB’s new major is unique in emphasizing the “interaction between the science of nutrition with physical, mental and emotional well-being,” said Douglas Moellering, Ph.D., associate professor and director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Nutrition Sciences. “There is a lot of data showing a link between cognitive ability, mood and the food choices we make.”

Cardiorespiratory fitness that results from activities such as running, walking and cycling has proved to decrease one’s risk of cardiovascular-related disease and death. However, most studies focus on cardiorespiratory fitness levels in midlife, typically in people ages 45 to 64.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences in the School of Health Professions, was awarded the 2023 Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr. Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Society of Preventive Oncology.

The new year often brings new resolutions, the majority of which are centered around physical health or weight loss, research shows. Diet and nutrition fads flood the internet with promises of quick weight loss, but many dieters find the regimens difficult to maintain.

A researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pathology has received an R21 award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This grant will be used to better understand whether disruptions in circadian rhythm can negatively influence liver health and whether these disruptions are risk factors for alcohol-related liver disease.

Nearly half of all American adults have elevated blood pressure or hypertension. High blood pressure contributes to 65 percent of cardiovascular deaths in the United States. Exponential advances in genomic sequencing technology have enabled scientists to read the 3.4 billion letters that make up an individual’s DNA in a short period of time and utilize this information for research purposes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 and Human Sciences, explains how the ketogenic diet produces health benefits.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.”

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).