[StBernard] Baker announces $321, 563 grant for Pennington Biomedical Research Center

[Westley Annis]

The News from Congressman Richard H. Baker
Sixth District, Louisiana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 14, 2007
CONTACT: Megan Bel, 202-225-3901 

Baker announces $321,563 grant for Pennington Biomedical Research Center   

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, today announced that the LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center will receive a federal grant of $321,563 for obesity research.   

This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will assist Pennington in research that has the potential to lead to a more complete understanding of how to control obesity.  Specifically, Pennington will study the interactions between two hormones as they function within specific regions of the brain.   

“Pennington continues to serve as an economic engine for the Baton Rouge area, and this grant reiterates the federal government’s commitment to the research being conducted at this respected institution,” Baker stated. 

  

Obesity is a significant escalating health problem in the U.S. with an enormous societal and economic burden. There are numerous health issues associated with obesity including increased risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and certain cancers. While researchers have made progress in understanding the cellular and molecular signals that control feeding and regulate metabolism, scientists still do not fully understand how different signals in the body, and particularly in the brain, interact to control these processes.    

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