HJBR-2020-jul-aug

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JUL / AUG 2020 25 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com convincing all smokers, young and older, to quit,” said Mike Rogers, CEO of the Smoking Cessa- tion Trust Management Services (“SCTMS”). “We continue to face cessation battles on sev- eral fronts, including Big Tobacco spending mil- lions of dollars, trying to convince older smokers that “switching” is somehow a healthier option than quitting; a Louisiana legislature that seems reluctant to raising the age of purchasing tobacco products to 21, which could help protect younger generations from getting hooked; and now, a global pandemic that is proving a threat to for- mer and current smokers.” According to WHO, smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19, as they may also already have lung disease or reduced lung capac- ity which would greatly increase risk of serious ill- ness. In recognition of World No Tobacco Day 2020, and in light of the current COVID-19 pan- demic, the Smoking Cessation Trust is strongly encouraging Louisiana smokers--many of them young people who started into vaping--to take this opportunity to eliminate tobacco from their lives. To date, the Trust has registered more than 110,000 eligible Louisiana citizens who are now on the path to quitting their nicotine addiction. For more information, or to apply for the free products and services provided by the Louisiana Smoking Cessation Trust, or to find a cessation provider, visit www.smokefreela.org , or call (504) 529-5665, or toll-free (855) 259-6346. NIHFunds NewCenter of Biomedical Research Excellence A new federal grant to establish a Center of Bio- medical Research Excellence (COBRE) has been awarded to Pennington Biomedical scientists. The purpose of this grant is to establish a Meta- bolic Basis of Disease Center that will allow young scientists to delve into the mechanisms of dia- betes, preeclampsia, and anxiety-driven eating. “The grant provides Pennington Biomedical with the opportunity to establish a new research focus that will hopefully be a significant benefit for the state of Louisiana, which has a dispropor- tionately high incidence of metabolic diseases,” said Jacqueline Stephens, PhD, professor, center director and the primary investigator of this new five-year center grant. “This grant is perfectly aligned with the research center’s mission and fully embraces the impor- tance of understanding the basic mechanisms that regulate metabolic health. This research is vital to helping solve the epidemic of obesity and its related illnesses,” said John Kirwan, PhD, executive director. “The COBRE will provide for the development and training of the next gener- ation of independent scientists.” The initial research projects include: Research by Susan Burke, PhD, assistant pro- fessor of research at Pennington Biomedical, will investigate lipid metabolism ¬– how fats are broken down and burned – in the pancreas. This includes examining the cells that make and secrete insulin. Reduced fatty acid oxidation, a result of poorly functioning pancreatic cells, may increase fat storage in other places like the kid- neys, liver, heart, and muscle. Accumulation of lipid in the wrong tissues results in a number of serious health issues. The project will provide crit- ical insights into the contributions of pancreatic lipid metabolism during aging and obesity. Studies by Jenny Sones, DVM PhD, assistant professor of theriogenology in Veterinary Clini- cal Sciences at LSU School of Veterinary Medi- cine, will determine how reproductive fat tissue contributes to preeclampsia, a condition of dan- gerously high blood pressure that can occur dur- ing pregnancy. Worldwide, greater than 75,000 women and 500,000 infants die as a result of pre- eclampsia each year, and the numbers are ris- ing. In the United States, preeclampsia impacts approximately eight percent of pregnancies. Maternal obesity is a major risk factor for pre- eclampsia. In order to prevent, predict, and treat this life-threatening disorder, a better under- standing of maternal obesity is needed. The study will investigate the contribution of fat tis- sue to preeclampsia. Research from the laboratory of Emily Qualls- Creekmore, PhD, assistant professor and direc- tor, Behavioral Neurosciences at Pennington Bio- medical, will seek to identify the neural circuit and molecular mechanisms that link metabolism and anxiety. It is known that specific neurons, or nerve cells, can drive eating for pleasure, and also modulate anxiety. This research will use state-of- the-art methodology to reveal new mechanisms that the brain uses to integrate the influence of emotion on appetite. These studies may help in finding a treatment for anxiety-associated eat- ing disorders. Each of these research projects fall within the Pennington Biomedical’s core mission to study disorders where metabolism clearly affects the incidence and progression of chronic diseases that reduce human life and health spans. The inci- dence of metabolic related diseases continues to increase in the U.S. Louisiana has been dispropor- tionately affected because of demographics, eco- nomics, and a high incidence of health disparities. The primary focus of the new Metabolic Basis of Disease Center is to provide mentoring and train- ing for Pennington Biomedical’s young scientists and help them establish themselves so they can eventually secure their own independent research funding. The grant will support 14 professional jobs in Louisiana for five years. Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation Names Rebecca F. Schutte President, CEO Rebecca Schutte has been named president and CEO of the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising organi- zation affiliated with Pennington Biomedical Research Center. She previously served as director of donor ser- vices at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, where she managed donor relations, engagement, and grantmaking. “We are so fortunate to have Rebecca join us at this pivotal moment in our history,” said Janet Olson, chair of the foundation’s board of direc- tors. “Her experience and track record will enable us to accelerate and expand our support of the transformational work of the Center.” Pennington Biomedical Research Center con- ducts basic, clinical, and population research, and is affiliated with Louisiana State University. The Center provides cutting-edge treatments for obesity and diabetes through its Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, including lifestyle inter- ventions, drug and combination therapies, and surgical procedures. In addition, the Pennington Diabetes Clinic is piloting a weight-centric care model for Medicaid members with diabetes and prediabetes. Gifts to the Pennington Foundation help fund