The Clinical Nutrition Research Unit at Vanderbilt was established in 1979 to foster a multidisciplinary approach to clinical and basic nutrition research. The Vanderbilt CNRU is unique in that it is housed in the Department of Pediatrics, but the Departments of Medicine and Surgery, basic science departments, the Engineering School and Meharry Medical College are closely integrated into the daily function of the program. The CNRU has made significant progress in nutrition research as evidenced by continued expansion of the research base, continued development of state of the art techniques and facilities, and further enhancement of collaboration of funded investigators. The scientific productivity of the CNRU has been outstanding, with an average of more than 150 publications per year. Emphasis on research training, education of health care professionals, nutrition support service in both pediatrics and adults, shared facilities and resources, and public information services has been a major focus of the Vanderbilt CNRU. Major advances in the core facilities have been realized in the past two years. The Energy Balance Core has updated the whole-room indirect calorimeter to include a force platform to measure exercise-induced energy expenditure. The Transport Core now includes cell and molecular biology subcores with DNA sequencing capabilities. The Analytical Gore now incorporates a molecular genetics component and the Mass Spectrometry Core has acquired a new triple quadruple mass spectrometer. The Administrative Core has been consolidated to include a biostatistical component which provides statistical support to CNRU investigators and pilot projects recipients. The pilot project program has been highly successful in attracting young scientists to the field of nutrition and has resulted in NIH funding to most of the recipients. The enrichment program serves as a mechanism for education as well as a forum for interaction between CNRU investigators by sponsoring biweekly nutrition seminars, symposia, visiting scientists and an outreach program.
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