In the process of endowing Atkins
professorships in metabolism, obesity,
Type 2 diabetes and nutrition at
renowned academic centers
nationwide, a pattern emerged that
became the impetus for establishing
the Atkins Research Coalition.While
investigators at these institutions
had different approaches to answering
scientific questions, they shared
interest in the same topics. Some
of them had even previously
collaborated with one another.
Foundation leaders saw an
opportunity to enhance natural
connections. They recognized the
value of bringing together the skills
and resources of these experts in
one cohesive, interactive consortium
that would leverage their collective
brainpower and the strengths of
their respective centers to drive
the science forward.
In 2006, the Foundation awarded
approximately $1 million in annual
funding to seven renowned institutions
to enhance novel research efforts in
the areas of obesity, metabolism,
nutrition and Type 2 diabetes. A
primary goal of the gift was to foster
either a joint, multi-center project, or
perhaps several projects proposed by
coalition partners. Participants would
then decide as a group which proposal
or idea would be feasible and most
meaningful to the chosen overarching
issue. By sharing talents, experiences,
facilities and knowledge, the hope
is that scientific questions will be
resolved more quickly and more
cost-effectively than if each group
worked independently.
“This notion of working with, rather
than against, each other is highly
unusual in the traditionally
competitive field of research,” said
Abby Bloch, Ph.D., executive director
of programs and research at the
Foundation. “The interdisciplinary
relationships we’re forging are already
inspiring researchers to follow suit
within their own facilities, and could
one day become a new model for
medical philanthropy.”
A sampling of research initiatives
Thus far, the following coalition
members have structured several
projects around the central issue
of liver metabolism and fatty liver
development—the next major health
concern, experts warn: Charles
Burant, M.D., Ph.D., University of
Michigan Medical School; Michael
Goran, Ph.D., University of Southern
California Keck School of Medicine;
Andrew Greenberg, M.D., Tufts
University; Samuel Klein, M.D.
Washington University School of
Medicine; Jay Horton, M.D.,
University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center at Dallas; Sharon
Wardlaw, M.D., Columbia University
Medical Center; Eric Westman, M.D.,
Duke University School of Medicine
- Drs. Burant,Wardlaw and Klein
are hoping to gain new insights into
how different kinds of fatty acids
alter metabolism.
- Dr. Wardlaw will test the ability of
saturated versus unsaturated dietary
fat diets to affect the release of
gastrointestinal hormones known
to modulate appetite and glucose
tolerance. Collaborating with her
is Dr. Burant, who will provide
samples for the study.
- Dr. Goran is working with
Drs. Burant, Klein,Wardlaw and
Greenberg on exploring the causes
and consequences of obesity-related
insulin resistance, fatty liver disease
in particular, and the possibility of
differences in African Americans
and Hispanics, which might explain
varying disease risk profiles.
- Dr.Greenberg, in collaboration
with studies proposed by Drs. Klein,
Goran and others in the coalition
will address critical knowledge
gaps in the role of fat tissue
inflammation in obese African
American and Hispanic populations.
- Dr. Klein is leading a study with
Drs. Burant and Greenberg to
better understand abdominal and
subcutaneous fat tissue metabolism
to help determine the potential
importance of individual abdominal
fat accumulation in mediating fatty
acid-induced insulin resistance in
muscle and the liver.
- Dr.Westman, along with a
Duke colleague, is working on
a clinical project evaluating the
neurobiological basis of changes
in food craving brought on by a
low carbohydrate ketogenic diet.
