2026 News Feed
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Jeffrey Keller to Present StreetCoach Safer Driver Program on Feb. 25
Public safety leaders, fleet managers, business owners and general drivers are invited to Pennington Biomedical on Feb. 25, 2026, at 3 p.m. for a Behind the Lab Doors event, which will feature the StreetCoach Safer Driver Program, presented by Dr. Jeffrey Keller. Registration for the event is now available and required at pbrf.org/upcoming-events.
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Empowering Women’s Health: Annual Wellness Day Returns to Pennington Biomedical March 7
The Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women returns to Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Saturday, March 7, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring a day of health screenings, services and other activities for participants from across the capital region. Registration is now open and can be accessed on the Pennington Biomedical website.
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Bariatric Surgery Benefits Extend Across Socioeconomic Lines
Nonmedical factors drive up to 60 percent of health outcomes, and for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), social determinants of health factors like poverty, food insecurity, and unstable housing can derail even the best treatment plans. Now, a long-term study led by investigators at Joslin Diabetes Center finds that bariatric metabolic surgery is more effective at glycemic and weight control than medical and lifestyle interventions for people with T2D, even in the setting of social vulnerability.
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Dr. Catherine Prater Awarded Postdoctoral Fellowship from the American Heart Association
Dr. Catherine Prater, postdoctoral researcher at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has received a two-year fellowship from the American Heart Association. The fellowship includes a grant of more than $150,000 that will support research focused on weight gain markers. Her research project, “Examination of Metabolic Characteristics in the Predisposition for Weight Gain,” will reexamine existing clinical trial data with the goal of improving prediction models and uncover metabolic markers that explain individual differences in weight gain.
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Dr. Candida Rebello Secures $3.7 Million NIH Grant to Study Muscle Retention in Older Adults
Pennington Biomedical Research Center scientist Dr. Candida Rebello recently secured a $3.7 million, five-year grant from NIH’s National Institute on Aging to explore lifestyle-focused care strategies to reduce excess body fat and declining muscle mass in older adults with obesity, also known as sarcopenic obesity. The grant will facilitate the planning and structure of the clinical trial laid out in her project “Lifestyle intervention to improve muscle function in older adults.”
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Pennington Biomedical’s Greaux Healthy Initiative Addresses Childhood Obesity as It Tours Houma-Thibodaux Region
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Greaux Healthy initiative is set to embark on a significant outreach tour throughout the Houma-Thibodaux region January 26-30. As childhood obesity rates in Louisiana rank among the highest in the nation, the Greaux Healthy initiative seeks to engage local education, healthcare, business, and government leaders in a collaborative effort to address this pressing health crisis.
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In U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Diets, DASH Diet Again Recognized as Best Heart-Healthy Diet
For the second year in a row, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH Diet, developed in part by scientists at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been recognized as the best heart-healthy diet in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Diets rankings. Additionally, it again ranked as the second-best diet overall.
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Pennington Biomedical Researchers Explore Factors Behind Body’s Ability to Regulate Weight
Pennington Biomedical researchers recently investigated the systems of the body that regulate weight, exploring whether our bodies defend an established weight target or if our bodies operate within a broader range of tolerance before biological mechanisms are activated. The paper, titled “Body weight regulation models in humans: insights for testing their validity,” which was recently published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, examined competing body weight regulation models and analyzed how energy intake and expenditure interact to maintain or disrupt weight stability.
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Elizabeth Stanley Named Associate Executive Director of Operations
Pennington Biomedical Research Center has announced the appointment of Dr. Elizabeth S. Stanley as Associate Executive Director of Operations, effective January 20, 2026. Stanley, who joined the Center in November as Senior Director for Operations and Finance, assumes the role following the transition of longtime operations leader Guy LaVergne, who is stepping down from his full-time position as Associate Executive Director after 27 years of service to the Center. LaVergne will continue supporting the Center in a part-time advisory and consulting capacity, working closely with Stanley and executive leadership to ensure continuity and strategic momentum during the transition.
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Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Gang Hu Appointed to NIH Reproductive, Perinatal and Pediatric Health Review Group
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Gang Hu of the Center’s Chronic Disease Epidemiology Lab was recently appointed to serve as a member of the Integrated Review Group (IRG) for the NIH Reproductive, Perinatal and Pediatric Health (RPPH) Study Section. The IRG for the RPPH’s Previews applications submitted to the NIH, makes recommendations on the applications to the appropriate NIH National Advisory Council, and surveys the status of research in the field of population science and epidemiology.
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