Letter from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center Executive Director

Turning a corner – that’s the phrase that comes to mind when I think about the past year at Pennington Biomedical.

Although COVID is still very much with us, we have turned the corner and are learning how to live with it. Chronic diseases are still also very much a part of our daily lives, but we have made some very exciting advances in finding new cures and treatments for diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cancer. I am optimistic about what the future holds.

The scientists who work at Pennington Biomedical are world-class and every year they are recognized across the globe for their contributions to science. Last year was no different. Dr. Eric Ravussin, Associate Executive Director for Clinical Science, received the American Society for Nutrition's George Bray Outstanding Scientific Achievements Award in Obesity Research for his lifetime of contributions to obesity research. Dr. Steven Heymsfield was named an Amazon Scholar and is developing digital health and wellness tools for Amazon Halo. Dr. Leanne Redman’s work and passion for mentoring was recognized with the Thomas A. Wadden Award for Distinguished Mentorship at Obesity Week, the annual meeting of The Obesity Society. Dr. Emily Flanagan, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Redman’s Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Laboratory, was named an Emerging Leader by the American Society for Nutrition. Five Pennington Biomedical faculty and one adjunct professor rank among the most cited researchers in the world according to the Google Scholar Citations database. Drs. Claude Bouchard, Heymsfield, Ravussin, George Bray and Peter Katzmarzyk, as well as adjunct professor, Dr. Carl “Chip” Lavie, were all on this prestigious list.

Our research and clinical trials impact the health of citizens of Louisiana and indeed across the nation and all over the world. Last year, we undertook our first vaccination trial, testing Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in children. I had the good fortune of leading a successful Pennington Biomedical application to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to become one of 15 sites to study why some people are still sick months after being infected with COVID and how this affects the body (so called “long haulers”). Four of our researchers (Drs. Katzmarzyk, Corby Martin, Ravussin, and Jennifer Rood) were part of an international study that suggested human metabolism peaks much earlier and starts its inevitable decline later than was thought. The research findings were published in one of the most preeminent journals in all of science and featured in The New York Times. Drs. Ravussin and Redman received a new five-year, $8.6 million grant, Nutrition for Precision Health, to discover how to predict an individual’s response to a given diet, allowing physicians to offer patients personalized nutrition prescriptions to improve health and treat chronic diseases. I would like to acknowledge the many dedicated faculty who spent the latter half of FY 2021-22 on our request to the NIH to renew funding for the LA CaTS Center. We were enormously pleased to learn that not only did NIH agree to fund us for five more years, but at $20 million, it represents the single largest NIH grant at Pennington Biomedical. More importantly, it means that together with our LA CaTS Center partners, we have significant resources to build a healthier Louisiana.

All this research continues to impact our own community. Pennington Biomedical partnered with the Louisiana Department of Education in September, National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, through Louisiana Fit Kids, to promote resources and tools that advocate for healthy growth and prevent obesity in children. We hosted a free webinar series for teachers, school administrators, guidance counselors, child nutrition program professionals, and other key stakeholders.

Metamor, formerly the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, moved into their new space in the Bioimaging Center in October and patients have provided enthusiastic feedback. Our monthly global webinar “Pennington Metabolic Surgery Grand Rounds,” continues to draw surgeons and scientists from all over the world. Dr. Phil Schauer continues to advocate for expanded access to bariatric surgery, including testifying in the legislature about the benefits of the surgery and extending insurance coverage for key treatment interventions that would benefit both individuals who have obesity, as well as the communities in which they live. Act 388 (Senate Bill 150) authored by Senator Regina Barrow was successfully enacted and requires that the Louisiana Office of Group Benefits cover bariatric surgery for the treatment of severe obesity. We also established a bariatric tissue repository and outcomes database to advance research which will determine how bariatric surgery is so effective at reversing diseases like type 2 diabetes.

These efforts complement our Obecity, USA Campaign, which was launched to increase awareness that obesity is a disease. To date the campaign has generated over $17 million dollars in donated media and more than 1.5 billion people have seen or heard a public service announcement or interview or news segment on TV or radio, on billboards, in their social media feed, or visited our website.

I remain forever grateful for the ongoing support from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, the Louisiana Legislature, the Louisiana Congressional Delegation, Louisiana Economic Development, LSU President William Tate, the LSU Board of Supervisors, and the Louisiana Board of Regents.

All of these accolades are only a fraction of what makes Pennington Biomedical so wonderful. When I think all the way back to the beginning of the fiscal year, Hurricane Ida kicked it off. Immediately following the storm, we instituted a center-wide “check-in” and relief effort. Despite most employees having no power at home, we quickly organized a donation drop-off and pick-up location on campus to get items to employees in need, coordinated help with tree and yard clean-up, and provided a laundry service. The Pennington Biomedical family spirit definitely showed through during this disastrous event!

Thank you for being a loyal partner in the important work we do. I look forward to sharing more exciting news throughout the year.

John Kirwan, PhD