Research
HWRC investigators have pioneered a wide range of large-scale, externally funded research initiatives. Examples of some of the novel research projects include:
- PI: Megan Bensignor
Title: Anti-obesity pharmacotherapy to decrease BMI and improve insulin sensitivity in adolescents with obesity and type 2 diabetes
NIH K23: 2021-2026 - PI: Jerica Berge
Title: Reducing Childhood Obesity Using Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) and Video Feedback at Family Meals
NIH R33: 2021-2026 - PI: Carolyn Bramante
Title: Self-weighing for Weight Management in Adolescents with Obesity
NIH K23: 2021-2025 - PI: Lisa Chow
Title: Time Restricted Eating As a Viable Alternative to Caloric Restriction for Treating Hyperglycemia in a Population with Type 2 (T2DM) diabetes
NIH R01: 2022-2025 - PI: Ellen Demerath
Title: Maternal Obesity, Milk Composition, and Infant Growth
NIH R01: 2014-2025 - PI: Simone French
Title: Neighborhood Park Youth Sports Program Fee Waiver and Intensive Family Outreach to Promote Physical Activity in Low-Income Children Ages 6-12 Years
NIH R01: 2021-2026 - PI: Simone French
Title: Native American Youth Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Implementation of Culturally-Tailored Evidence-Based After School and Home Visitation Programs for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
NIH P50: 2021-2026 - PI: Jayne Fulkerson
Title: Innovation in Measurement for Diet-Related Disease Research: Optimizing Utility and Reach to Reduce Health Disparities
NIH R01: 2020-2025 - PI: Melissa Horning
Title: Evaluating Diet, Food Insecurity, and Food Purchasing Outcomes of a Full-Service Mobile Food Market with a Cluster Randomized Trial
NIH R01: 2022-2026 - PI: Aaron Kelly
Title: Comparison of Intensive Behavioral Counseling vs. Medical Management to Treat Adolescent Severe Obesity
NIH R01: 2020-2025 - PI: Aaron Kelly
Title: Role of Pharmacotherapy in Counteracting Weight Regain in Adolescents with Severe Obesity
NIH R01: 2020-2025 - PI: Alicia Kunin-Batson
Title: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related stressors on childhood obesity and cardiometabolic risk
NIH R01: 2022-2026 - PI: Jiwoo Lee
Title: Reducing the summer health gap: Evaluation of a community-based child nutrition assistance program
NIH K23: 2022-2026 - PI: Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
Title: Eating, Activity, and Weight-Related Problems Across the Life Course in Diverse Populations
NIH R35: 2018-2024 - MPIs: Mark Pereira and Matthew Buman (Arizona State Univ)
Title: Stand and Move at Work II: Effectiveness and Implementation
NIH R01: 2020-2025 - PI: Shalamar Sibley
Title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with Cognitive Training to Reduce Impulsivity and Weight in Veterans with Obesity: A Clinical Trial
NIH I01: 2022-2026
- PI: Katie Arlinghaus
Title: Use of a Pyramid Mentoring Model to Integrate Social Emotional Learning into Physical Activity After School Programming for Secondary School Students
CDC SIP: 2021-2023 - MPIs: Daheia Barr-Anderson and Mark Pereira
Title: Feasibility of a Yoga Intervention in Sedentary African-American Women
NIH R34: 2020-2023 - PI: Lisa Chow
Title: Prolonged Daily Fasting As a Viable Alternative to Caloric Restriction in At-Risk Obese Humans
NIH R01: 2021-2023 - MPIs: Ryan Demmer and Mark Pereira
Title: The Influence of Physical Activity on the Gut Microbiome of Pre-Diabetic Adults
NIH R21: 2021-2023 - Subcontract PI: Lisa Harnack; Prime PI: Alyssa Moran, Johns Hopkins Univ
Title: Evaluating a Health Restaurant Kids Meal Policy (Big Apple Kid’s Meals)
NIH R01: 2019-2023 - Subcontract PI: Melissa Laska; Prime PI: Stephanie Bell Jilcott Pitts, East Carolina Univ
Title: Examining Validity and Sensitivity of Pressure-Mediated Reflection Spectroscopy as a Measure of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in a Diverse Community Sample
NIH R01: 2019-2023 - Subcontract PI: Mark Pereira, Prime PI: Andrew Odegaard, Univ of California-Irvine
Title: Effect of Artificially Sweetened Beverages on Diabetes Control in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes (SODAS Study)
NIH R01: 2018-2023 - PI: Carol Peterson
Title: Neurobiological and Psychologica Maintenance Mechanisms Associated with Anticipatory Reward in Bulimia (FRESH TEAM)
NIH R21: 2020-2023 - PI: Nancy Sherwood
Title: Systems Science and the Dieting Paradox: Investigating the Complex Mechanisms through which Dieting Influences Obesity and Eating Disorder Risk
NIH R21: 2020-2023 - PI: Caitlin Caspi
Title: A Natural Experiment Evaluating the Effect of a Minimum Wage Increase on Obesity and Diet-Related Outcome (WAGES Study)
NIH R01: 2020-2023 - PI: Susan Mason
Title: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Obesity in Emerging Adults: Mixed Methods Study
NIH R21: 2019-2022 - PI: Susan Mason
Title: Maternal Early Adversities and Weight During Childbearing
NIH R01: 2018-2022 - PI: Caitlin Caspi
Title: A multi-component intervention in the hunger relief network to improve diet among adults experiencing food insecurity (Super Shelf)
NIH R01: 2017-2022 - PI: Lisa Harnack
Title: Effects of Subsidies and Prohibitions on Household Nutrition in a Food Benefit Program
Laura and John Arnold Foundation: 2017-2020 - PI: Jayne Fulkerson
Title: New Ulm at HOME (NU-HOME)
NIH R01: 2016-2021 - PI: Rachel Widome
Title: Impacts of Later High School Start Times on Adolescent Weight and Weight-Related Behavior (START Study)
NIH R01: 2016-2020 - MPIs: Mark Pereira and Matthew Buman (Arizona State Univ)
Title: Stand and Move at Work: A Group-Randomized Trial
NIH R01: 2015-2020 - PI: Nancy Sherwood
Title: Evaluating Options for Non-responders: A SMART Approach to Enhancing Weight Loss (BestFIT)
NIH R01: 2014-2020 - PI: Jerica Berge
Title: Addressing Unanswered Questions About the Home Environment and Childhood Obesity Disparities
NIH R01: 2014-2019 - PI: Jerica Berge
Title: The Association Between Family Meals and Child Health and Well-Being
NIH R03: 2016-2018 - PI: Melissa Laska
Title: Hungry to Learn
UMN Grand Challenges: 2015-2018 - PI: Melissa Laska
Title: Impact of a Local Staple Food Ordinance on Food Choice and Calories Purchased
NIH R01: 2014-2018 - PI: Lisa Harnack
Title: Designing a Food Benefit Program to Optimize Diet Quality for Obesity Prevention
NIH R01: 2013-2018 - MPIs: Simone French, PhD and Nancy Sherwood, PhD
Title: Linking Primary Care, Communities and Families to Prevent Obesity Among Preschool Children (Net-WORKS)
NIH U01: 2010-2017 - PI: Allen Levine, PhD; Epidemiology and Intervention Core Director: Robert Jeffery, PhD
Title: Minnesota Obesity Center (MNOC)
NIH P50: 1995-2016 - PI: Marilyn Nanney
Title: Improving High School Breakfast Environments (Project BreakFAST)
NIH R01: 2013-2016 - PI: Jerica Berge
Title: Risk and Protective Factors for Childhood Obesity in the Home Environment
NIH R21: 2012-2015 - PI: Jayne Fulkerson
Title: Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (Home) Plus
NIH R01: 2010-2015 - PI: Simone French, PhD
Title: Portion Size Effects on Body Weight: Free Living Setting
NIH R01: 2010-2015 - PI: Melissa Laska, PhD (formally Leslie Lytle, PhD)
Title: Evaluating Innovative Weight Reduction Strategies for College Students (CHOICES)
NIH U01: 2009-2015 - PI: Nancy Sherwood, PhD
Title: Healthy Homes Healthy Kids: Pediatric Primary Care-Based Obesity Prevention
NIH R01: 2009-2014 - Subcontract PI: Nancy Sherwood, PhD; Prime PI: Cheryl Rock, Univ of California, San Diego
Title: Randomized Clinical Trial of a Weight Loss Program in Type 2 Diabetes (Take Charge)
Jenny Craig, Inc: 2012-2014 - PI: Robert Jeffery, PhD
Title: Environmental Interventions for Weight Gain Prevention (HealthWorks)
NIH R01: 2005-2012 - Center Director: Robert Jeffery, PhD; Project PIs: Simone French, PhD, Mindy Kurzer, PhD, Leslie Lytle, PhD
Title: Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC): Examining the Obesity Epidemic through Youth, Family, and Young Adults
NIH U54: 2005-2011 - PI: Melissa Laska, PhD, RD
Title: Addressing Young Adult Obesity: Identifying Effective Opportunities for Prevention in 2-Year Community Colleges
American Heart Association: 2009-2011 - Subcontract PI: Nancy Sherwood, PhD; Prime PI: Cheryl Rock, Univ of California, San Diego
Title: Food, Attitudes and Body (FAB) Study
Jenny Craig, Inc: 2007-2011 - PI: Nancy Sherwood, PhD
Title: Novel Approaches to Weight Loss Maintenance (Keep-It-Off)
NIH R01: 2006-2010
