Good Health is Good Business

A Window Into Pennington Biomedical’s World-Class Research Center

March 11, 2024 · Baton Rouge, LA

Its beautiful buildings and park-like campus sitting on 222-acres might be an iconic East Baton Rouge Parish landmark. Still, few Louisianans really understand what goes on inside LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center at 6400 Perkins Road each and every day.

Soon after C.B. “Doc” and Irene Pennington presented their $125 million gift to establish LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Chancellor of the LSU Medical Center Allen Copping, D.D.S., announced the university’s intention to build a state-of-the-art biomedical center that would attract scientists from across the globe.

The largest gift from a private individual to a public institution at the time, the Penningtons’ magnificent gift came with only one directive: “… this should be the biggest and best nutrition research center in the country.”

More than 35 years later, Pennington Biomedical has emerged not only as a world leader in nutrition but a renowned authority in the science of helping people live longer healthier lives. Pennington Biomedical scientists explore how diet and exercise can help maximize human performance and defend against dementia, diabetes and other chronic diseases that shorten lifespan.

Their approach involves examining everything from the tiniest fragments of DNA in a cell in basic science laboratories to the effectiveness of new medications in clinical trials along with studying the food we consume to exercise apps that can change the behavior of entire populations.

Over the past three-plus decades, Louisianans from almost every parish in the state—59,000 individuals total—have participated in Pennington Biomedical studies and received the benefit of our scientists’ knowledge and expertise.

Among its many contributions to health and science, Pennington Biomedical has:

Researched prevention and treatment strategies for dementia, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases.
Conducted one of the largest brain aging studies in the country.
Facilitated the development of key diabetes and all obesity medications.
Provided Louisiana physicians with our Childhood Obesity Treatment Toolkit, which includes innovative prevention strategies to help reduce the growing obesity epidemic.
Been a key player in the creation of the DASH Diet, consistently ranked by US News & World Report as one of the best diet options available and the top heart-healthy eating style by the American Heart Association.
Served as the primary provider of nutrition research for U.S. military soldiers and their families for more than 30 years.
Introduced a collaborative, centralized approach to weight loss with obesity medicine, lifestyle interventions, and surgery under one roof with the Metamor Institute.
Collaborated with colleagues from 240 academic institutions in 24 countries.

Although the generosity of two philanthropists were responsible for its founding, Pennington Biomedical has been sustained with the support of many statewide philanthropists, industry, state funding and federal grants.

Those sources of funding are all essential to Pennington Biomedical’s continued success in the future.

With the partnership of generous donors, industry and the steadfast support of the state and federal grants, Pennington Biomedical has the potential to help everyone everywhere live longer, healthier lives.

About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. The Center conducts basic, clinical, and population research, and is a campus of the LSU System. The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 480 employees within a network of 40 clinics and research laboratories, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and other support personnel. Pennington Biomedical a state-of-the-art research facility on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge. For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.