Focus Areas
The Obesity Research Center has three major focus areas: Basic Science; Population Research; and Clinical Interventions.
Basic Science (Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms, Genetics and Genomics )
This area investigates the cellular, molecular, physiological and genetic bases for obesity using both cell culture models and a diverse set of monogenic and polygenic animal models of obesity (rodents, birds, swine and horses). The emphasis is on systems genetics and translational genomics and many faculty across different disciplines are already engaged in collaborative research. An area of high priority is utilization of the Collaborative Cross, a unique mouse genetic reference population that is being developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Collaborative Cross (and other recombinant inbred strain panels at ORNL) represents a population-based model system in which to dissect mechanisms of genetic susceptibility to both obesity and its co-morbidities. Strong expertise exists on campus in the areas of obesity, glucose and lipid metabolism, adipocyte biology, genetics, endocrinology, immunology, nutrient-gene interactions, imaging, genomics and proteomics as well as statistical genetics. Access to clinical samples through collaborations with the University of Tennessee Medical Center provides opportunities for translational applications to human disease. The overarching goal is to develop an understanding of molecular mechanisms linking alterations at the cellular level to wholebody metabolic dysregulations.
Population Research
Population-based research is the study of obesity in large groups of individuals. One area of research is the epidemiology of obesity. This involves observational studies of the distribution of obesity, its determinants, and co-morbidities in large populations. Another branch of population-based research is community interventions. In these studies, scientists examine the effects of large-scale efforts to prevent or treat obesity in large groups (communities). While the population effects are typically much smaller than those seen in response to individually tailored interventions, they are still important because they reach a larger number of people.
Clinical Interventions
UT faculty are already engaged in research on prevention and treatment of obesity. Much of this research involves behavioral interventions aimed at promoting healthier eating habits and increasing the levels of physical activity performed, with change in body weight status as the key outcome variable. In its simplest form, the dynamic energy balance equation says that the rate of change in body weight is influenced by the rate of calories taken in minus those that are expended. However, recognizing that obesity is a multi-faceted problem, one of the goals of the center is to bring together faculty from many disciplines to design and implement effective programs for weight loss and maintenance of weight loss. This will likely involve faculty from Nutrition, Exercise Science, Social Work, Psychology, Plant Sciences, Engineering and other disciplines. With UT medical Center in close proximity to campus, there are ongoing collaborations with the Department of Surgery as well as the Immunology and Imaging Labs.