Food Innovation Center - Collaborating for a healthier, hunger-free world.

Obesity: Interdisciplinary Innovation for an Epidemic

The Food Innovation Center is investing in transdisciplinary solutions to address the obesity epidemic. To make significant progress, we seek to engage agricultural, behavioral, biological, environmental, medical, policy, and socioeconomic experts. FIC members from across Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital are collaborating to tackle this epidemic. Highlights of our initiatives:

• Investments in research including the following pilot investigations:

• A Transdisciplinary Approach to Obesity Prevention in Preschool Age Children (2010 Seed Grant)
  Robert Murray (PI), EHE; Cheryl Achterberg, EHE; Matthew Kleinhenz, FAES; Joyce McDowell, FAES; Robert Scharff, EHE

• Zinc Deficiency Enhances Chronic Systemic Inflammation in Obesity (2010 Innovation Incentive & 2011 Seed Grant)
  Daren Knoell (PI), Pharmacy; Mingjie Liu, COM; Qinghua Sun, CPH; Martha Belury, EHE; Mark Failla, EHE; Robert Murray, EHE

• Simple Suppers: A Novel Approach to Childhood Obesity Prevention (2011 Seed Grant)
  Joyce McDowell (PI), FAES; Carolyn Gunther, EHE; Patricia Gabbe, COM; Julie Kennel, EHE; Matt Kleinhenz, FAES; Carla Miller, EHE; Robert Murray, COM; Thelma Patrick, Nursing

• Maternal Obesity and Child Temperament as Predictors of Childhood Obesity: Mediating Role of the Intestinal Microbiota (2012 Innovation Initiative)
  Michael Bailey (PI), Dentistry; Lisa Christian (Co-PI), COM; Ihuoma Eneli, COM; Diane Habash, COM; Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, EHE; Zhongtang Yu, FAES; Kyle Porter, Center for Biostatistics
  
  
• The Primary Care Obesity Network (PCON): Incorporating principles of self-regulation of intake (2012 Seed Grant)
  Ihuoma Eneli (PI), COM; Christopher Taylor, COM; Tracy Tylka, A&S; Kaylee Sprau, NCH; Phyllis Polas, Professional Pediatrics.
  
  

• Creating Healthy Habits Index for Kids (CHHIK) (2012 Seed Grant)
  Robert Murray (PI), COM/EHE; Samantha Anzeljc, EHE; Jacqueline Goodway, EHE; Carolyn Gunther, EHE; Amy Headings, Mid-Ohio Foodbank; Amy Sternstein, COM

• E-newsletter: Michelle Battista disseminates a periodic obesity update to provide scholars from across the university with references and links to scholarly articles, lay press articles, grant opportunities, webinars, and conference information. We welcome your suggestions and encourage you to submit any information (articles, conferences, grants, webinars, etc.) to Michelle Battista (battista.19@buckeyemail.osu.edu). Also contact Michelle to subscribe.
  Check out our e-newsletter archive for past editions.
  
  
• Inventory of Ohio State expertise: Robert Murray, MD, and Michelle Battista, PhD, developed a database of obesity investigators within The Ohio State University family.  Bob and Michelle are engaging the OSU faculty and are organizing the information necessary to build a comprehensive investigator catalogue. The data will be integrated into FIC’s current collection of membership profiles to be a user-friendly, sustainable resource for the academic community to foster communication, collaboration, and partnership across Ohio State. If you and would like to be included in this team of researchers, please email fic@osu.edu.    
  
  
• Educating the next generation: Leaders of the FIC Obesity initiative are exploring the creation of a Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies program in Obesity Sciences.  The program would allow Ohio State graduate students to take courses and explore topics outside of their own field of study and view the obesity epidemic through multiple perspectives. This program will engage interdisciplinary collaborations that set out to solve real world problems in obesity science from farm to fork.
  
  
    

  On Nov. 1-2, 2011, the Food Innovation Center co-hosted Obesity and Chronic Disease: Making and Unmaking the Epidemic with the Nationwide Children's Hospital. View the conference brochure above.

  Questions? Contact fic@osu.edu