The University of Louisiana at Monroe has won a $352,500 grant to study diabetes and obesity.
The grant is funded by the Department of Health and Hospitals and is awarded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases.
Louisiana had the sixth highest rate of obesity and the fourth highest rate of diabetes in the United States in 2017. Researchers at ULM hope to use this funding to improve therapies for treating obesity and diabetes, which will lead to a healthier Louisiana.
“As a physician who has practiced medicine in the delta for more than 20 years, I can tell you from first-hand experience that diabetes and obesity continue to be major problems in our region and Louisiana as a whole. I’m excited that ULM will be leading the way to discover how we can better treat these patients, reduce the number of people living with these conditions, and make Louisiana a healthier state,” said Dr. Abraham, a member of both the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and the House Doctor’s Caucus.
Researchers at ULM hope to answer what molecular pathways and genes are involved in causing the onset of insulin resistance in body tissues. They will study the pathways to disease in obese and diabetic patients to discover how to research and development better treatments.
“Research is one of the most potent teaching classrooms we can give students who truly want to understand how their field of study operates. By awarding us this funding, this will allow us to push as the boundaries of what is known in the field, and hopefully yield novel information,” said ULM biologist Matthew Talbert. “This funding will improve our ability to inspire and grow future scientists and physician scientists. As someone who joined the faculty at ULM primarily because I saw an unrivaled opportunity to be a mentor, I am honored and very thankful for this federal funding.”
This is the second major scientific research grant ULM has received in the last two months. ULM previously has received $275,000 for its Atmospheric Sciences research program.