Contact: Ellen Bank
843.792.2626
Karen Petit (USC)
803.777.5400
Peter Kent (Clemson)
864.656.0937 or 864.207.1167
August 27, 2003
South Carolina's three research universities and the S.C. Research
Authority announced today that they are uniting to tackle the state's health
problems caused
by poor nutrition.
The collaboration links the resources and research faculty of
Clemson University, the Medical University of South
Carolina and the University of South Carolina to create the S.C.
Nutrition Research Consortium (SCNRC), which will
conduct research on nutrition and how it affects the health of South
Carolinians.
The move is unusual because it brings together researchers from
fields as varied as medicine, public health,
biology, chemistry and agriculture in one venture in a state plagued by
obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
high
blood pressure and certain types of cancer.
USC President Andrew A. Sorensen said the collaboration of the
state's top research universities to tackle nutrition-
related health problems is among the first in the nation.
"The impact of nutrition on disease prevention is a relatively new
field of research in the United States, and few
universities have undertaken an effort of this magnitude," Sorensen
said. "Through this venture, South Carolina is
poised
to be a national leader in this field, and we at USC are proud that we
can contribute research expertise from a variety
of
disciplines, including the Arnold School of Public Health and the
School of Medicine, as well as the colleges of
nursing,
pharmacy, and science and mathematics."
The research universities and the S.C. Research Authority each
have committed $300,000 to fund the $1.2 million
consortium. At the outset, researchers will focus on three major
initiatives: preventing and treating childhood obesity;
understanding how dietary supplements can improve health; and
standardizing nutrition for hospital patients.
One area targeted for study is nutraceuticals, a field in which
the state is a recognized leader because of the
companies that have located here. A rapidly growing field of study,
nutraceuticals are foods and dietary supplements
that
can be used to treat or prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease
and diabetes.
MUSC President Ray Greenberg said the SCNRC bonds experienced
teams of scientists and educators from all
three universities who already have significant nutrition-related
research programs and outreach services under way.
Among the most serious problems is obesity.
"Here in South Carolina, we see the effects of obesity in our
exceptionally high rates of diabetes, high blood
pressure, heart disease and many other conditions. If, through our
research, we can reduce the risk of obesity and other
nutritional problems, we can improve the quality of life for millions
of our fellow citizens and prevent the premature
loss
of life. The three research universities of our state could select no
more important an issue to work on together. At
the
Medical University, we are proud to be a part of this effort and look
forward to working with our partners at USC and
Clemson."
MUSC researchers also will lead a study directed at ways to
improve the health of hospital patients, many of whom
are malnourished and at risk for problems related to poor nutrition.
The consortium also stands to be at the forefront of the
nutraceuticals industry, which is a significant contributor
to the state's income, Clemson President James Barker said.
"With the recent advances in genomics, physicians and healthcare
workers will soon be able to identify the genes
associated with chronic diseases and those nutraceutical products which
may be useful in preventing their expression
and
the onset of disease," Barker said. "This information will provide
the
basis for agricultural scientists and growers to
develop new plant varieties with enhanced medicinal properties for use
in disease prevention. Clemson University is
proud
to be a part of this unique consortium since it represents a true
marriage between agriculture and medicine and
positions
South Carolina as a leader in the ever expanding area of disease
prevention and wellness in the new millennium."
Dr. Larry Druffel, CEO of the S.C. Research Authority, said the
collaboration represents an historic move for
research in the state.
"The South Carolina Nutrition Research Consortium embodies the
vision of our state's academic leaders to build
a better future for our state," Druffel said. "I am excited both by the
breadth of potential collaboration among the three
research universities that will enable us to further the science and by
the opportunity to address a problem that can
directly
affect the lives of so many South Carolinians."
For more information about this partnership, visit www.SCNutritionResearch.org.
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