OHSU Bob and Charlee Moore Nutrition and Wellness Institute announces first round of research grant recipients

In its inaugural round of research funding, the OHSU Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness has selected three projects that target women and children and are emblematic of the institute's mission to increase awareness of the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and beyond.

"The institute steering committee has chosen three innovative projects that offer a glimpse of the depth and scope of the institute's mission. The projects will impact pregnant employees at OHSU, K-12 children in Oregon schools, and pregnant women in the community suffering from ADHD," said Kent Thornburg, Ph.D., interim director of the OHSU Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness. "The Moore Institute intends to make a powerful impact on the health of Oregonians. These projects are just the beginning."

The awardees were selected from among 56 applications from across the state:

  1. "OHSU Pregnancy Exercise & Nutrition (PEN) Program," led by Linn Goldberg, M.D., professor of medicine and head of the Division of Health Promotion & Sports Medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine. Goldberg will develop, implement and study a team-based, behavior intervention to prevent gestational diabetes. The study aims to address a problem that affects one in 10 pregnancies in the United States, and an even higher percentage worldwide, with lifelong consequences for both mother and child.
  2. "Improving Adolescent Awareness of the Epigenetics on Generational Nutrition," led by Jackilen Shannon, Ph.D., R.D., M.P.H., scientist in the OHSU Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology and an associate professor of public health and preventive medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine. Shannon will launch an education outreach program that will introduce Oregon middle-school students to the concept of epigenetics and facilitate their understanding of how current behaviors, specifically dietary intake, can impact their health and the health of future generations.
  3. "Nutrient-Rich, Whole-Food Dietary Intervention in Pregnant Women with ADHD," led by Joel Nigg, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry in the OHSU School of Medicine. Nigg will target pregnant women who are at increased risk of poor nutrition and having babies with serious mental and behavioral health problems, brought on by delayed brain development. Intervention during pregnancy could result in widespread application of nutritional prevention for mental and behavioral conditions and brain development.

Tamara Hargens-Bradley
Senior Director, Strategic Communications
OHSU
503-494-8231