2026 News Feed
Pennington Biomedical Earns Fifth NIH Renewal for Nationally Recognized Nutrition Obesity Research Center, One of Only 11 in the Nation
LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center has received a five-year, $5.66 million renewal of its Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award, totaling $5,659,389, extends support for the Pennington-Louisiana Nutrition Obesity Research Center through 2031 and reaffirms Pennington Biomedical's position as a national leader in nutrition, obesity and metabolic health research.
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Dr. Philip Schauer Joins the MBS Digest Editorial Board
The MBS Digest welcomed the first of six members to the new editorial board: Dr. Philip Schauer. Dr. Schauer is one of the most-cited and most-referenced researchers in bariatric surgery and metabolic disease. He will be assisting with curating the most relevant articles and news items for our readership. “I joined MBS Digest because I need to help keeping up with the massive influx of innovation in metabolic disease treatment,” Dr. Schauer said. Dr. Schauer is the Mary Kay and Terrell Brown Professor of Metabolic Surgery at Pennington Biomedical Research Center (LSU) and Director of the Metamor Metabolic Institute. Past president of the ASMBS and principal investigator of the landmark STAMPEDE trial, which established metabolic surgery as a durable treatment for type 2 diabetes. He has performed more than 9,000 operations across five continents and authored over 500 papers with more than 53,000 citations.
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Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Kaja Falkenhain Receives Early Career Investigator Award from American Society for Nutrition
Pennington Biomedical Research Center postdoctoral researcher Dr. Kaja Falkenhain has been selected to receive the Peter J. Reeds Early Career Investigator Award from the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), one of the highest honors recognizing emerging scientists in the field of nutrition.
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Louisiana Study Shows Promising Outcomes for Bariatric Surgery in Adolescents and Young Adults with Severe Obesity
A new study from researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Metamor Institute demonstrates that metabolic and bariatric surgery can be delivered safely and effectively for adolescents and young adults living with severe obesity, offering promising improvements in weight loss and obesity-related health conditions.
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Dr. Tim Allerton Awarded Up to $3.6 Million NIH Grant to Study New Approach to Advance Heart Failure Research
Dr. Tim Allerton, Assistant Professor and Director of the Vascular Metabolism Laboratory at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been awarded a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 research grant totaling up to $3.6 million to investigate a promising new approach to treating one of the fastest-growing forms of heart failure.
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LSU and FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Award $1.6M to Seven Research Teams
LSU and FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake have awarded more than $1.6 million in competitive research grants to seven teams from across the state as part of their Collaboration in Action Program, or CAP. Each of the winning teams is working to solve critical health challenges in Louisiana, including for patients suffering from cancer, trauma, and heart and lung disease. CAP also works to advance sports medicine and performance, as well as medical data science, to bring the benefits of innovation directly to those who need it most.
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RURAL Health Study Reveals Key Drivers of Chronic Disease in Franklin Parish
Following the release of data from Assumption Parish earlier this year, researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center have published the first set of data from the Risks Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal, or RURAL, Heart and Lung study in Franklin Parish. The data book for Franklin Parish is now available to explore.
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Dr. Robert Newton Jr. Appointed to American Heart Association Physical Activity Committee
Dr. Robert Newton Jr. was appointed to the Physical Activity Committee of the American Heart Association’s Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health. His two-year term will begin July 1, 2026, and continue through June 30, 2028.
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Dr. Logan Townsend Appointed Assistant Professor at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center
LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Logan Townsend as an Assistant Professor, effective July 1. Dr. Townsend, most recently a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research at McMaster University in Canada, will lead the newly established Integrative Stress Metabolism Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical.
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Dr. Robert Dubin Named Fellow of The Obesity Society
Dr. Robert Dubin, Associate Professor at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been named a Fellow of The Obesity Society, or FTOS, one of the highest honors bestowed by the organization. The prestigious FTOS designation recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional scholarly achievement in obesity research, including a strong record of peer-reviewed publications and significant contributions to the field. Fellows of The Obesity Society are also eligible to hold leadership positions, vote on organizational matters and help guide the future direction of the society.
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