2008 — 2009 |
Braun, Barry Steven |
R56Activity Code Description: To provide limited interim research support based on the merit of a pending R01 application while applicant gathers additional data to revise a new or competing renewal application. This grant will underwrite highly meritorious applications that if given the opportunity to revise their application could meet IC recommended standards and would be missed opportunities if not funded. Interim funded ends when the applicant succeeds in obtaining an R01 or other competing award built on the R56 grant. These awards are not renewable. |
Combined Use of Exercise and Metformin For Metabolic Rehabilitation @ University of Massachusetts Amherst
Diabetes is an enormous and growing public health problem. In the United States, the disease afflicts 20.8 million people, or 7% of the population, the overwhelming majority of whom have Type-2 diabetes. The US spends approximately $132 billion annually on diabetes in direct and indirect costs, and that number rises each year. Major research efforts seek ways to better understand and treat this prevalent disease. A landmark clinical trial, the Diabetes Prevention Program, showed that either a physically active lifestyle OR treatment with the drug metformin, the most commonly prescribed diabetes drug, causes impressive reductions in the transition from [unreadable]high-risk[unreadable] status to diagnosed Type-2 diabetes. In 2008, the American Diabetes Association recommended for people with pre-diabetes 150 minutes per week of moderate activity and metformin for prevention/delay of Type-2 diabetes. As a result, this approach very likely will soon become the standard of care for this enormous patient population. However, based on the scientific literature, it is unclear whether combining these two treatments will result in greater benefits. The combination of these therapies may elicit additive, synergistic, or even subtractive effects on several key components of metabolic health, given that metformin and exercise have different mechanisms of action. The experiments described in this proposal aim at understanding the efficacy of combined exercise training and metformin treatment in order to allow an evidence-based medicine approach to clinical recommendations for this patient population. Seventy-two overweight men and women with [unreadable]prediabetes[unreadable] (metabolic abnormalities that put them at high-risk of developing Type-2 diabetes) will complete a 10-week program in which they receive exercise training, metformin, training-plus-metformin, or a placebo. Results at various time-points in the four conditions will be compared on measures of: Aim 1. whole-body metabolic health (whole-body and hepatic insulin sensitivity; metabolic flexibility; and changes in a series of hormones and substrates related to one[unreadable]s metabolic profile); and Aim 2. cellular processes that contribute to those benefits (myocellular proteins related to energy, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism.) The collective experience and expertise of our research team in wholebody metabolism, intracellular signaling, clinical management, and statistical analyses create an integrative environment to address the aims of this proposal from cellular mechanisms through clinically-relevant outcomes. Results from this translational research may benefit public health approaches to obesity, prediabetes, and Type-2 diabetes. Millions of Americans are, or will be, taking metformin and encouraged to increase physical activity. In light of this massive public health effort, we must understand the efficacy of combined therapy and its mechanisms of action in order to formulate the most effective public health response.
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0.958 |
2012 — 2014 |
Bhatia, Surita R. (co-PI) [⬀] Braun, Barry Steven Fisher, Donald Lloyd (co-PI) [⬀] Petersen, Sandra L [⬀] Powers, Sally I (co-PI) [⬀] |
R25Activity Code Description: For support to develop and/or implement a program as it relates to a category in one or more of the areas of education, information, training, technical assistance, coordination, or evaluation. |
University of Massachusetts Imsd @ University of Massachusetts Amherst
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) Initiative for Maximizing Student Development is to significantly increase the number of underrepresented minority (URM) doctoral students who complete Ph.D. degrees and postdoctoral fellowships, and become leaders in biomedical and behavioral science research. To accomplish this goal, our aims are to: 1) Enhance recruitment of well-prepared URM students for Ph.D. programs by nurturing existing partnerships with minority-serving institutions through new collaborative research initiatives. Our Partners in Research program will bring URM Partner faculty and undergraduates to laboratories at UMass for extended summer visits and our Partner Visiting Professors will bring Partner faculty back to UMass for year-long sabbaticals. In addition, UMass faculty and senior IMSD doctoral students will present seminars and workshops at Partner Institutions. Other recruiting initiatives will include an IMSD Graduate Preview Weekend at UMass and national promotion of our IMSD. 2) Enhance retention and preparation of IMSD Scholars through stage-specific funding, mentoring and professional development activities at the Transition, Achieving Candidacy and Beyond the Doctorate Stages. 3) Develop, reward and disseminate models for fostering an environment of inclusiveness. Our program will be led by five research-active faculty PIs who are well positioned to engage their colleagues in IMSD activities. In addition, our IMSD is strongly supported by the Provost who will sponsor an annual Diversity Conference to discuss progress, problems and new strategies for diversifying the biomedical and behavioral graduate student body and faculty. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The underrepresentation of U.S. minorities, a growing segment of the population in the biomedical and behavioral research workforce increases reliance on international talent and exacerbates healthcare disparities among racial and socioeconomic groups. Our IMSD will directly address this issue through novel programs that enhance recruitment, retention and preparation of underrepresented minority doctoral student to be leaders in biomedicine and behavioral science disciplines.
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0.958 |