1. Nebraska Gateway for Nutrigenomics
Janos Zempleni, Ph.D.
Dept. of Nutrition and Health Sciences, UNL
(Email: JZEMPLENI2@UNL.EDU; Ph. 402.472.3270)

2. Mission
It is our mission to prevent human disease by studying
the interactions between nutrition and genes.

3. Goals
• Conduct nutrigenomics research
• Develop a nutrigenomics workforce
• Promote a healthy lifestyle

4. Research
Center of Biomedical Research
Excellence in Nutrigenomics and
Disease Prevention
The center will focus on the theme “mechanisms
of disease prevention by bioactive compounds in
foods with an emphasis on cardiovascular
disease and diabetes.”

5. Significance
Obesity among U.S. Adults, CDC 2010
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)

6. Significance (cont’d)
Age-adjusted percentage of adults aged ≥20 years with diagnosed diabetes,
2007
CDC

7. Significance (cont’d)
Significance (cont’d)
Heart Disease hospitalization rates among U.S. Adults, CDC 2000 - 2006

8. Investigator(s)
NIH R01, NGN co-founder and director, T32 PI,
J. Zempleni* Principal Investigator
NIH study section member, ASN council member
J. Davis, R. Lewis, Funded by NIH R01 and
D. Becker E. Moriyama Mentoring Council
other federal agencies
UNMC UNMC
A. Benson, Ed Cahoon, A. Cupp, P. Dussault, L. Harshman, Funded by NIH, other
S. Kachman, J. Lee,* R. Powers, V. Schlegel,* D. Wang, Cadreagencies, and
federal Member
industry
M. Wilson
Samodha Dmitri Regis Angela Jennifer First funding
Junior
successes,
Fernando Fomenko Moreau Pannier* Wood Investigator
COBRE priority
*Member of the NGN Management Team

9. Environment
Nebraska
Gateway for
Nutrigenomics
37 faculty
in 15 units
Seminar series,
retreats, poster Home in NHS
competit. (CEHS,
IANR)
COBRE
NIH T32
2009 survey:
predoctoral
$23M active,
training grant
$28M
Website, pending
Facebook

10. Environment (cont’d)
• Including the Gut Initiative:
 Etsuko Moriyama, Mentoring Council
 Andy Benson, Cadre Member
 Samodha Fernando, Junior Investigator
• Core facilities:
 Metabolic suite for human studies (NHS)
Shared database, Holland Computing Center (Dave Swanson)
• European connections:
 Grant review panel member (Germany, Hungary)
 Departmental development (Austria)
 Student exchange program (Germany)
 Science: European Nutrigenomics Organization

11. Innovation and Approach
Redox signaling and
Angela Pannier Cardiomyocyte differen- selenoproteins in type II Dmitri Fomenko
tiation and epigenetics
diabetes
(folate, biotin)
Cardiovascular
disease and
Fetal programming, diabetes
obesity, and pro-
Gut microbiome sig-
inflammatory
naling and body
processes in mice
weight in humani-
zed pigs
Samodha Fernando
Jennifer Wood
Lipoic acid signaling
pathways and hyperlipidemia
Regis Moreau
We will hold an open competition for the five available slots among ~10 candidates.

12. Approach
Genes
Bioactive food Health
compounds Genes
Breeding for Human studies
biomedical traits

13. Workforce Development
NIH T32 Pre-doctoral Training Grant “Nutrigenomics
Predoctoral Training (NuT) Program”
Develop a pre-doctoral training program in
nutrigenomics aimed at producing outstanding
doctorates with great potential for developing
externally funded research programs in nutrigenomics
at the nation’s leading research centers

14. Impact
• Devise prevention and treatment strategies for cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, and other diet-dependent diseases
• Raise research $$ in the State of Nebraska
• Develop highly qualified Junior Investigators to NIH-funded PIs
• Enhance the biomedical research infrastructure
• Provide cutting-edge training opportunities for graduate students and
postdoctoral research associates
• Develop ties with food and nutrition industry
• Foster ties with European partners