Nutrition Obesity Research Center

Director: Samuel Klein, MD

The Washington University Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) activities enhance our understanding of the basic and clinical aspects of nutrition in the prevention, etiology, pathophysiology and therapy of nutrition-related diseases. Since our NORC’s founding in 1999, it has served as a nidus for the growth and development of nutrition and obesity research at Washington University.

The major research themes of the Washington University NORC are

• Obesity: Pathophysiology, Complications and Therapeutics
• Nutrient Metabolism in Health and Disease

Newly emerging areas of major interest include

• Community Health
• Gut Microbiome

The overall goals of the NORC are to

• Stimulate new and innovative nutrition and obesity research by supporting collaborative research among investigators from different disciplines and in different Washington University schools, departments and divisions. To this end, the NORC will
  • Foster communication and interaction between basic and clinical investigators.
  • Provide state-of-the-art and cost-effective core laboratory services to support nutrition and obesity research.
  • Enhance the translation of discoveries from basic science to human clinical investigation to clinical practice/community health.
• Attract new investigators to the field of nutrition and obesity, and enhance their development as independent and creative investigators through access to specialized hands-on training, core laboratory resources (including services and shared equipment), mentorship and educational programs.
• Improve the training and education of students, house staff, postdoctoral research fellows, physician faculty, and allied health personnel in clinical nutrition, clinical bariatrics and nutrition/obesity research.
• Improve nutritional aspects of patient care by enhancing clinical nutrition services and by improving physician and healthcare provider knowledge of nutrition.
• Partner with the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, the Brown School Program in Public Health, the Diabetes Research Center, and the Center for Diabetes Translation Research to coordinate and promote nutrition/obesity research and education at Washington University and the greater St. Louis metropolitan area.

For more information on the Nutrition Obesity Research Center, please contact: 
kmuehlha@wustl.edu and lisawojcik@wustl.edu.

NORC Cores

The NORC Cores provide outstanding technical services and assist investigators in areas of research including isotope tracers, mathematical modeling, rodent models and mass spectrometry. The NORC research cores are:

• Cellular and Molecular Biology Core (CMBC)
• Animal Model Research Core (AMRC)
• Clinical Science Research Core (CSRC)
• Dissemination and Implementation Science Core (DISC)

Accessing NORC Services

Access to NORC services is open to all investigators; however, in times of high demand, priority will go to Washington University investigators who are also members of the NORC. Any grant/project for which you wish to request services will need to be registered and approved prior to receiving services.