Clinical Nutrition Research Unit

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The major goal of the Clinical Nutrition Research Unit (CNRU) at the University of Washington is to promote and enhance interdisciplinary nutrition research by bringing together basic science and clinical investigators on a cooperative basis. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of nutrition, close interaction across disciplines and optimal use of resources is necessary to better understand the relationships among diet, health and disease states. By providing a number of Core facilities, the CNRU integrates and coordinates research activities in the field of nutrition and aims to foster new interdisciplinary research collaboration, stimulate new research activities, improve nutrition education at multiple levels and facilitate the nutritional management of patients. The four Cores are: 1) an Animal Studies Core, the Physiology Component of which measures body composition and energy expenditure in rodents, and a Genetic Component, which provides geneticallydefined mouse models for use in studies of nutrient-gene interactions; 2) an Analytic Core to provide Affiliate Investigators with cost-efficient state-of-the-art nutritional assays in both human subjects and experimental animals, and to help with new methods development; 3) a Human Studies Core to provide facilities and assistance for investigators with their clinical research, and 4) an Administrative and Enrichment Core that is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the CNRU. This Core also arranges a series of seminars, retreats, and Visiting Professorships, and administers the Pilot and Feasibility and New Investigator Programs. These programs are aimed at stimulating nutrition research by junior investigators and by more established investigators new to the field of nutrition in response to evolving research interests at the University of Washington. This Core also contains a biostatistical component that supports both basic and clinical research. Thus, the CNRU provides facilities and support for the large and varied nutrition research base of the University, which consists of 78 Affiliate Investigators. The major research foci of the University of Washington's CNRU are lipids and atherosclerosis, diabetes and body weight regulation, and obesity, i.e chronic diseases of major importance to the health of the nation. The presence of the CNRU at the University of Washington stimulates not only research, but also educational and clinical activities in the area of nutrition.