Research Highlights
Microbes Colonizing Offspring’s Gut May Depend on Mom’s Diet
Research increasingly focuses on how the gut microbiome—the collection of microbes in our digestive system—develop, change and contribute to health. Investigators at the ACNC, led by Dr. Umesh Wankhade, used a mouse model to explore how a maternal diet, consumed before and during pregnancy, affects the gut microbiome of the following generation. Specifically, their team examined […]
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The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center turned 30!
The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center celebrated its 30th anniversary with a symposium held on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The event brought together esteemed speakers to share Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center’s history, ongoing research, and future directions in parental and child nutrition. The symposium commenced with remarks from key stakeholders in nutrition and agriculture, including Senator […]
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Seeking an Easier Way to Assess Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Kids
Cardiorespiratory fitness is a key indicator of health. However, measuring peak oxygen consumption needed to determine cardiorespiratory fitness can be difficult to measure in children, who may not be able to, or willing to, push themselves and give a maximum effort during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. That’s why investigators at the ACNC explored if another measure, […]
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Child Temperament Shaped by Maternal Psychiatric Symptoms, Family Environment and Infant Feeding
An infant or child’s temperament influences their behavior and the way they interact with others. Newer research suggests that maternal affection and environmental factors, including feeding method, can influence infant temperament. Researchers at the ACNC investigated how maternal factors (affection and psychiatric symptoms) and child factors (environment and early nutrition) affected child’s temperament for the […]
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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.
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.
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Physical 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
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Biostatistics 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
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Metabolomics and Analytical Chemistry Core
Dedicated to chemical processing and analysis of metabolite profiles (targeted and untargeted) in a variety of human and animal samples
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Rodent 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
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Histology and Bioimaging Core
All the necessary facilities to conduct histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis, in situ hybridization, imaging/microscopy with a full-time certified histotechncian
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Brain 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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