Press Releases | In the Press ATKINS FOUNDATION GIVES $2 MILLION FOR NUTRITION PROGRAMS AT DUKE DURHAM, N.C. -- The Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation has given $2 million to the Duke University School of Medicine to fund an endowed professorship as well as for research, clinical care and education in the areas of nutrition and metabolism. "We are grateful to Mrs. (Veronica) Atkins and the Atkins Foundation," said Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead. "Obesity is one of the leading chronic health problems in this country and globally, and it is linked to a host of other medical illnesses in both adults and children. The Atkins Foundation's generous gift will advance scientific research already underway at Duke to understand why obesity is increasing at such alarming rates and what we can do to improve treatment and prevention." The endowed professorship will be named the Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Professorship in nutrition and metabolism. In recognition of the gift, Veronica Atkins, the wife of the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins and chair of the board of directors of the Atkins Foundation, will be honored at the 12th annual Duke Palm Beach Health Forum at the Breaker's Hotel, Palm Beach, Fla., on Thursday, March 3. "This professorship and associated research funding will advance the Atkins Foundation's objective to combat the obesity epidemic in America by supporting Duke's rigorous scientific analysis and evidence-based research in the field of nutrition," Atkins said. Dr. Victor Dzau, chancellor for health affairs and president and CEO of the Duke University Health System, said that researchers from diverse disciplines at Duke -- including genetics, biochemistry, psychology, surgery, nutrition, and metabolism -- are exploring the many factors surrounding obesity. "We are pleased and honored by the Atkins Foundation's investment in our research into the complexities of obesity," Dzau said. _ _ _ _ The Atkins Foundation, established in 1999, collaborates with leading professionals and organizations nationwide to fund research in nutrition and the management and treatment of obesity and associated diseases. With nearly $40 million in assets, it is managed by the National Philanthropic Trust, an independent charity and one of the top 40 grant makers in the United States.   The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation c/o National Philanthropic Trust, 165 Township Line Road, Suite 150, Jenkintown, PA 19046-3593