Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Obesity Research Center
Director: Simeon Taylor, MD, PhD
Associate Director: Braxton Mitchell, MPH, PhD
The Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) is a center funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) since 2005.
Our NORC’s mission is to foster multidisciplinary research approaches to understanding the impact of nutrition on risk for chronic disease and translate this knowledge into effective clinical treatments and prevention efforts. With the obesity epidemic, associated co-morbidities now detract from the quality of life for the majority of Americans and represent a major burden to our health care system. Our NORC provides core laboratories, a pilot and feasibility program and enrichment activities that enhance our members research and education efforts. Our current focus areas are:
- Basic research on the genetics of complex diseases (a focus on obesity, diabetes, CVD, osteoporosis)
- Basic research on the molecular and cellular function in normal and pathophysiological conditions (a focus on adipose tissue)
- Translational research on the effects of weight loss and exercise on metabolic risk factors (a focus on minority and urban populations).