Research Highlights
Does How One Remembers Being Fed As a Child Influence How One Feeds Children?
Children’s eating behaviors develop with influence from parent feeding styles, practices, and beliefs. Researchers examining childhood eating behaviors including ACNC faculty Taren Swindle, are interested in how classroom feeding practices employed by early education staff, who also interact with children during mealtimes, associate with their own childhood experiences. To examine how classroom feeding practices are […]
Read moreEffects of Short-term Supervised Exercise Training on Liver Fat in Adolescents with Obesity
Center investigators Drs. Eva C. Diaz, Xiawei Ou, Elisabet Børsheim, were part of a team that recently published results from a 4-week RCT examining the effects of short-term supervised exercise training on liver fat in adolescents with obesity. The supervised exercise [high-intensity interval training (HIIT)] had beneficial effects on markers of cardiometabolic health, and after limiting analysis […]
Read moreAssociation Between Adiposity During Pregnancy and Offspring’s Physical Activity – Modified by Offspring Sex
Maternal obesity during pregnancy increases risk of obesity and disease in the offspring across the lifespan. Animal models indicate that children born to mothers with obesity are less physically active -however, such studies in humans are complex requiring long follow-ups. Investigators at the ACNC analyzed data from The Glowing Study to evaluate the association between […]
Read moreBanana Genotype and Ripening Method Affect Carotenoid Content and Bio-accessibility
Biofortification programs aimed at reducing vitamin A deficiency in vulnerable populations focus on staple crops, such as bananas. What is not well known is how banana’s genetics and ripening methods effect provitamin A carotenoid content and perhaps most critically, how much of it is available for absorption (bioaccessibility). A collaborative team led by Massimo Iorizzo […]
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Statistics about the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center
A Cooperative Effort
The ACNC is a cooperative effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service and Arkansas Children’s, the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and UAMS.
One of Six National Human Nutrition Centers
Established in 1994 on the Arkansas Children’s Hospital campus, the ACNC is one of six National Human Nutrition Centers funded through the USDA-ARS.
One of Two Centers Specializing in Pediatrics
The ACNC is one of two National Human Nutrition Centers focusing primarily on pediatric/maternal nutrition and metabolic health.
About the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center
Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center uses modern procedures, equipment, and facilities to determine how early-life exposures to diet, dietary factors, physical activity, and other factors can affect biological systems including brain development, skeletal health, adipose tissue development, gastrointestinal health, immune system development, cardiometabolic health, and whole-body metabolism. Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center investigators are UAMS Department of Pediatrics faculty members within the section of Developmental Nutrition and receive funding beyond USDA-ARS, including the National Institutes of Health, non-profits, and industry partners. The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center also receives funding from the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, which was created as the major research component of the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act of 2000.
Want to Participate in a Nutrition Research Study?
We want to understand how nutrition and physical activity change the health of mothers and children. Volunteers are invited to participate in clinical research studies to evaluate the impact of nutrition, exercise, and other behaviors in pregnant women, children and infants.
Core Research Facilities
With approximately 54,000 square feet of shared research space, the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center provides ever-expanding clinical research facilities, laboratories, equipment, and Core Facilities designed for its team of over 75 scientists and support staff.
Clinical Research Core
Well-equipped for both long- and short-term research, the clinical research core has a robust record supporting large, longitudinal and RCTs from design to +12-year follow-up.
Learn MorePhysical Activity and Metabolism Core
Including both the Laboratory for Active Kids and Families — one of only a few dedicated pediatric exercise physiology labs in the nation — and a fully outfitted fitness facility
Learn MoreBiostatistics and Data Innovation Core
Dedicated, in-house space and staff to support statistical, analytical and bioinformatics needs, including statistical analysis and visualization of –omics based data
Learn MoreMetabolomics and Analytical Chemistry Core
Dedicated to chemical processing and analysis of metabolite profiles (targeted and untargeted) in a variety of human and animal samples
Learn MoreRodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Vivarium Core
Utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance and dual x-ray absorptiometry to assess body composition, the vivarium is also equipped with two state-of-the-art Promethion Systems
Learn MoreHistology and Bioimaging Core
All the necessary facilities to conduct histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis, in situ hybridization, imaging/microscopy with a full-time certified histotechncian
Learn MoreBrain Research Cores
With both the Budding Brains and Brain Imaging Labs to examine structural and functional development in children using advanced, non-invasive neuroimaging methods.
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