The University of Louisville has received an $11.6 million federal grant to expand research addressing chronic diseases that disproportionately affect Kentucky residents. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded the funding through a five-year Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant to establish the Nutrition and Metabolic Health Center at UofL.

Kentucky ranks 43rd in overall health among U.S. states, with obesity and metabolic diseases driving a significant burden on residents. The state ranks 7th in obesity prevalence and 6th for Type 2 diabetes rates, conditions often rooted in poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles. UofL President Gerry Bradley said the university matched the federal investment with $7.25 million of its own funding, demonstrating institutional commitment to the research initiative.

The Nutrition and Metabolic Health Center will investigate how foods affect human health, how the body processes nutrients, and how environmental exposures influence metabolism. Researchers will pursue new treatments for diabetes, heart disease, obesity and liver dysfunction. Matthew Cave, a professor of medicine and co-director of the center, emphasized that "optimal nutrition and metabolism are essential for sustaining function, growth and health." Poor diet is the leading cause of premature death worldwide, contributing to over 11 million deaths annually, Cave noted.

The center will be led by co-directors Cave and Bradford Hill, with associate director Cheri Levinson. Cave, a practicing gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist, has extensive research experience in liver health and food contaminants. Hill, a professor of medicine, specializes in basic and preclinical research on heart disease, metabolism and exercise biology. Levinson, in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, develops treatments for eating disorders.

Four early-career researchers will lead initial projects supported by the grant, studying topics ranging from sex differences in metabolic health to exercise metabolism and breast milk carbohydrates. The center will expand core research facilities with new capabilities in data management and artificial intelligence, multi-omics technology, and translational metabolic studies.

This represents the eighth CoBRE grant awarded to UofL. Previous and current CoBRE awards have contributed more than $130 million in funding to the university, supporting research in birth defects, cancer therapy, spinal cord injury and other critical health areas.