Center eyes lasting impact on obesity prevention, treatment
Since 2014, the Nebraska Center for the Prevention of Obesity Diseases through Dietary Molecules has been a leader in the fight against obesity and related diseases, developing unique treatment strategies that harness the power of naturally occurring compounds in foods.
With a third and final grant of nearly $6 million from the National Institutes of Health, the center is establishing a permanent home at UNL. The funding comes from the NIH’s Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence program, known as COBRE, and will support NPOD’s long-term success.
“During the first two funding periods, NPOD research has revealed that nutrients in the average person’s diet may be key to fighting obesity, which affects about 40% of both Americans and Nebraskans,” said Janos Zempleni, center director and Willa Cather Professor of Molecular Nutrition. “Phase 3 is all about sustainability and enabling the center to continue its work after the 15 years of NIH funding ends.”
NPOD is an internationally distinctive research hub. Among the many obesity-related research centers, NPOD distinguishes itself with a focus on using bioactive food compounds to combat obesity. The approach is economically feasible and consumer friendly, enabling people to adjust their diets with little impact on taste.
Over the past decade, the center has secured $210 million in external funding, amounting to a nearly 36:1 return on investment for each dollar invested by the university.
Over the past decade, the center has secured $210 million in external funding, amounting to a nearly 36:1 return on investment for each dollar invested by the university. The number of center-affiliated researchers has increased from 12 to 59 across UNL, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, who collectively have produced more than 1,000 publications.
Zempleni will hire additional researchers to expand the center’s portfolio, mentor future NPOD leaders and focus the center’s pilot grant program on positioning faculty to secure large-scale federal funding.
Nebraska is a natural home for NPOD, as its mission dovetails with the university’s research strength in agriculture. The center also fuels the state’s economy, drawing scientists and technicians to Nebraska and combating brain drain.
“It’s a training ground for young students who might decide to stay in the state because there is a lot of great science going on in Nebraska,” Zempleni said.
From left: Gabriella Robles of Santa Clara University, who worked in the Zempleni lab during summer 2025; Janos Zempleni; graduate student Barbie Zaman Wahid; postdoctoral associate Pijush Kumar Paul