Kansas Center for Metabolism and Obesity REsearch (KC-MORE) - CENTER OVERALL: Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section This new COBRE proposal seeks funding for the Kansas Center for Metabolism and Obesity REsearch (KC-MORE) at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The obesity epidemic is a major health crisis in the US and for the first time in modern history, the next generation is expected to have a shorter lifespan, largely linked to obesity-related chronic diseases. The obesity epidemic affects both urban and rural areas of Kansas and obesity rates continue to rise in adolescents, adults, and aging populations. Obesity is central to multiple diseases of almost every organ system. Obese patients are more likely to develop acute and chronic pain syndromes and have a greater incidence of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. They are more susceptible to poor outcomes after a range of infections including COVID-19. Obesity treatment and prevention is thus central to improving the health of the population and new research-driven solutions and therapies are desperately needed to combat obesity and its associated pathologies. As shown in Figure 1, the KC-MORE will focus on the obesity and its treatment and prevention, the metabolic mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate obesity, and the disease entities that result as a consequence of obesity. The focus of the Center will be approached with a series of research projects, intensive mentorship to junior research project leaders (RPLs), supportive research cores, and a center-wide education and recruitment program to further develop obesity research. A fundamental component of the KC-MORE will be to support and mentor talented RPLs at KUMC towards independent NIH funding. For its initial cadre of RPLs, we will be supporting faculty already here at KUMC, but as the Center develops, we will focus on hiring new recruits to grow the obesity and metabolism research community. KUMC has many existing strengths in obesity, metabolic dysfunction, and obesity-related chronic disease states across campus, and the KC-MORE will unify these strengths into a new multi-disciplinary Center and will coordinate and combine resources with other programs on campus to promote recruitment and development in related areas. These include the Diabetes Institute in the Dept. of Internal Medicine, endoscopic and nutrition-based weight management, and basic and translational research programs in energy metabolism, integrative physiology, liver disease, and an existing COBRE (Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine). This alignment will allow for further growth and collaboration among basic, clinical, and population researchers and will allow us to leverage Institutional resources to recruit new obesity-related investigators and build a self-sustaining Center of Biomedical Research Excellence. Our Center will capitalize on already high levels of funding at KUMC for human obesity research and tie this work into our other existing strengths in basic science (energy metabolism, liver disease, kidney disease, neuroscience, cancer, etc.). Beyond the Administrative core focused on mentoring, pilot awards, and center management, there will be three additional cores: 1) the Metabolism (MET) core focused on metabolic phenotyping in rodent models, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and metabolic isotope approaches in both humans and rodents; 2) the Cell, Tissues, Bioanalysis and Bioinformatics (CTBB) core focused on the acquisition and analysis of cells, tissue, and blood from human subjects plus bioinformatics support and 3) the Human Energy Balance (HEB) core focused on measuring and modifying human energy balance components (nutrition, eating and physical activity behavior). The theme of our COBRE and support of our Cores will set the stage for KUMC to become a national leader in translational obesity, metabolism, and obesity-related disease research.
