Center for childhood obesity prevention

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded Arkansas Children's Research Institute $1,167,290 on August 1, 2026, to establish and operate the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention at the Arkansas Children's Research Institute under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859).

The center addresses pediatric obesity and cardiometabolic disorders in Arkansas and nationally by integrating biomedical discovery, clinical translation, and community engagement. Phase 3 activities include strengthening and expanding three research cores—biostatistics, metabolism and bioenergetics, and community engagement—to accelerate discovery and cross-disciplinary integration; advancing investigator career development through structured mentoring, pilot funding, and training programs that foster team science; and implementing a comprehensive sustainability plan anchored by institutional commitments, fee-for-service cost-recovery models, and diversified extramural funding to secure the center's long-term independence. The center builds on prior COBRE phases that established high-performing research cores and supported investigators who published over 530 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Work is performed in Little Rock, Arkansas, with a period of performance through April 30, 2031.

Abstract

The center for childhood obesity prevention (ccop) at the arkansas children's research institute (acri) addresses one of the most pressing public health challenges in arkansas and the nation: pediatric obesity and its related cardiometabolic disorders. Building on the successes of cobre phases 1 and 2 which established 3 high-performing research cores, nurtured a pipeline of independent investigators, who in total published over 530 peer-reviewed manuscripts since joining the center, phase 3 will complete the transition of ccop into a sustainable, nationally competitive research center of excellence. The overarching goal is to integrate biomedical discovery, clinical translation, and community engagement to reduce the burden of childhood obesity and promote a healthy development. Phase 3 will 1) strengthen and expand the biostatistics, metabolism and bioenergetics, and community engagement cores to accelerate discovery and enhance cross-disciplinary integration; 2) advance investigator career development through structured mentoring, pilot funding and innovative training programs that foster team science; and 3) implement a comprehensive sustainability plan anchored by formal institutional commitments, fee-for-service cost-recovery models, and diversified extramural funding, to secure ccop's long-term independence. By embedding rigorous science with community partnership and institutional alignment, ccop will serve as a national model for pediatric obesity prevention and treatment, ensuring measurable and enduring improvements in children's health outcomes.