• Skip to main content
  • Skip to main content
Choose which site to search.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Logo University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Department of Pediatrics: Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center Research
  • UAMS Health
  • Jobs
  • Giving
  • Clinical Research Core
    • More Information on the Clinical Research Core
    • Clinical Nutrition Research
  • Physical Activity and Metabolism Core
    • The Laboratory for Active Kids and Families
    • The Fitness Facility
    • The Physical Activity, Energetics and Metabolism (PAEM) Research Group
  • Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core
  • Biostatistics and Data Innovation Core
  • Metabolomics and Analytical Chemistry Core
    • Untargeted Metabolomics
    • Untargeted Lipidomics
  • Histology and Bioimaging Core
  • Brain Research Cores
  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. College of Medicine
  3. Department of Pediatrics
  4. Research
  5. Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center
  6. Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center Research
  7. Clinical Research Core

Clinical Research Core

Modern Technology

The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center Clinical Research Core assists investigators with all aspects of clinical research aimed at improving maternal and child health and development. Our team helps with submitting and monitoring Institutional Review Board applications, recruiting participants, conducting studies, training team members, and collecting, storing and managing data. The Core is equipped with modern technologies to evaluate nutrition, body composition, energy expenditure and to collect biological samples.

The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center has a large ~25,000 ft2 clinical facility, which includes the Clinical Research Core directed by Aline Andres Ph.D, RD, Associate Director, Lisa Janson Ph.D., and led by Research Manager Audrey Martinez, MS, RD. The Clinical Core team include full-time recruiters, dietitians, nutritionists, a clinical laboratory technologist, neuropsychology technicians, data managers, registered nurses, and research assistants.

Fully-Equipped for Progress

The Clinical Research Core is equipped with modern technologies to evaluate nutrition, body composition, energy expenditure and to collect biological samples.

Child sleeping inside medical device

The Outpatient Unit

Five clinic rooms, three interview rooms, two testing rooms for psychological and behavioral testing, two indirect calorimetry units and phlebotomy, and more.

children jump on red play equipment in colorful room

The Inpatient Unit

A live-in center, five overnight rooms with fully equipped bathrooms, lounge, large playroom, nurses’ station, dining room, and a kitchen.

child lays supine while body length is measured by three staff members smiling

The Body Composition Unit

With a BodPod, PeaPod, two DXA instruments and a qNMR custom-built for infants and children

Family of 2 parents and a young girl sit on a couch and speak with a nurse in green scrubs taking notes on a clipboard

Recruiting, Clinical Nutrition, Biological Sample Lab, and more!

Labs to process human biological samples – placenta, cord, blood, urine, feces, breastmilk, saliva – with all key equipment, plus many more supporting services

Learn More about the Clinical Research Core

Air Displacement Plethysmography

Air displacement plethysmography technology provides a precise and accurate measure of fat mass. The BodPod is used for children and adults while the PeaPod is used for infants up to 6 months old. This technique measures body weight and body volume. The body density obtained from these measures help to estimate body fat and fat free mass that takes about three to five minutes to complete.

Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

QMR technology creates contrast between soft tissues by taking advantage of the differences in relaxation times of the hydrogen nuclei spins in these tissues, leading to a precise and accurate measure of body fat, fat free mass and total water. This QMR was custom-designed to accommodate our pediatric population (≤50 kg). Major advantages of this technology include: 3 minute assessment, no radiation exposure or need for immobilization.

Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry

The Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry technology provides a very precise and accurate measure of bone mass. It can also measure fat and lean body mass. The CRC uses the Hologic Horizon A with visceral core assessment. This technology uses low levels of X-ray to detect differences between bone and soft tissues. Participants need to remain still during the three-minute scanning process.

Subpages

  • More Information on the Clinical Research Core
  • Clinical Nutrition Research
UAMS College of Medicine LogoUAMS College of MedicineUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

© 2023 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences