Patient Oriented Research in Pediatric Nutrition

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application for a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient Oriented Research (K24) seeks support for an investigator who is committed to excellent research in human nutrition, and especially to mentoring future leaders in Pediatric Nutrition. The objective of this application is to enable the candidate to solidify and expand her efforts in patient oriented research, and to foster her ability to mentor clinical investigators and other trainees in Pediatric Nutrition. The candidate has an excellent record of conducting patient oriented research, which has been funded by both federal and non-federal sources, In the course of her academic career to date, she has mentored more than 25 pre- and post-doctoral trainees, currently including 2 physician clinical fellows and 2 post-doctoral fellows, all of whom are conducting research projects directly relevant to Pediatric Nutrition. The candidate's research focus is zinc (Zn) homeostasis in normal but vulnerable populations, including infants, children, and women during the reproductive cycle, and in pathologic conditions in which Zn homeostasis may be perturbed. An emerging area of research interest for the candidate and for trainees in Pediatric Nutrition is pediatric obesity prevention and treatment. Three funded patient oriented research projects are described in this application: investigations to characterize secretion of intestinal endogenous Zn and its potential modulation by metallothionein; a large scale intervention trial examining the effects of phytate-reduced maize on maternal reproductive outcomes and Zn homeostasis in Guatemalan women, and on growth and trace mineral status of their breastfed infants; and a pilot study examining Zn status and Zn excretion in relation to insulin sensitivity in severely obese adolescents. The specific mentoring aims are 1) to develop a structured, rigorous training program for post-doctoral fellows and other trainees in Pediatric Nutrition through newly created courses and training sessions, which will be linked with existing resources in the broader UCHSC academic community; and 2) to aggressively recruit outstanding trainees, especially physicians, to the field of Pediatric Nutrition to develop a larger cohort of physician nutrition specialist leaders in this area. This award will substantially contribute to the candidate's Career goals by enabling her to relinquish some clinical, educational and administrative duties in order to better focus on patient oriented research in Pediatric Nutrition, and by enhancing her ability to mentor the next generation of clinical investigators.