Texas Tech University

Nutrigenomics, Inflammation and Obesity Research Lab (NIOR)

Research in Nutrition: Discovering ways to better the human condition, one cell at a time.

NIOR Laboratory at Texas Tech University Nutritional SciencesObesity has become an epidemic public health problem all over the world. In the United States alone, over a third of adults suffer from obesity and another two-thirds are overweight. The Nutrigenomics, Inflammation and Obesity Research Lab (NIOR) is working to combat this problem through their research efforts.

The NIOR Lab is led by Nutritional Sciences Professor and Director of the Obesity Research Cluster (ORC) Naima Moustaid-Moussa, Ph.D., FTOS, FAHA whose research is focused on areas of obesity and bioactive compounds in food, like omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil and tart cherry anthocyanins and tocotrienols—a form of vitamin E . Dr. Moustaid-Moussa's NIOR lab uses cell cultures, mice, and model organisms (worms) in researching obesity-related metabolic disease including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer.

In September, Dr. Moustaid-Moussa's research was awarded additional funding as a supplement to current NIH award (R15 on fish oil and brown fat) from this past summer. Dr. Moustaid-Moussa received the news that her project was awarded $364,000 total for one year, bringing the current NIH R15 award to almost $1.7M in total funding.

The supplement award focuses on protective effects of fish oil in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using a mouse model of AD. The project was jointly funded by NIA (Aging) and NCCIH (Complementary & Integrative Health). Co-investigators are Breanna Harris from Biological Sciences, and Latha Ramalingam (NS). 

Texas Tech Nutritional Sciences Laboratory Mandana AwardNIOR's Postdoctoral Fellow Mandana Pahlavani, Ph.D., was recently selected as one of the top 4 finalists in the DSM Science & Technology Award International competition. This award celebrates outstanding dissertation work in innovative Ph.D. research in1 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) nutrition and related topics.

Dr. Pahlavani's dissertation focused on the beneficial metabolic effects of omega 3 fatty acids in activating brown adipose tissue, which is good fat in the human body. Dr. Pahlavani's work was seen as a novel approach to activate this tissue through dietary interventions, considering that most studies use cold temperatures or pharmacological means to activate the brown fat.

"It is truly an honor that my research work has been recognized globally," Dr. Pahlavani said. "I would like to thank my mentor, Dr. Moustaid-Moussa, for her excellent mentorship, and support during my Ph.D. program and now as a postdoctoral fellow. I especially thank her for nominating me for this award. Now I have even more enthusiasm to continue looking for novel ways to improve the human health condition."

Dr. Moustaid-Moussa's currently funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) award, was based on some preliminary data generated by Mandana for her dissertation, a point that Dr. Moustaid-Moussa says is another indication of the importance and novelty of this research area.

"While Mandana was not the top finalist in this competition, she was selected to the top 4, which is a great honor and recognition of her research at this international conference," Dr. Moustaid-Moussa said.

The NIOR lab continuously seeks avenues for grant funding in order to propel their research forward. To aid in these endeavors, the lab was recently awarded several new grants in 2018, which totaled $1.77 million awarded to Texas Tech University.

How Gut Microbiota Profiles Influence Potato Resistant Starch Glycemic Response in Overweight Females
Led by Dr. Koboziev in collaboration with Texas Women's University

Mechanisms Linking Angiotensins to Obesity and Diabetes: Role of inflammation, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Autophagy
Moustaid-Moussa and Ramalingam (TTU) and Joilson Martins (USP, Brazil), SPRINT award, in collaboration with the University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil

Therapeutic Potential of DNAJB3/HSP-40 as a Novel Biomarker for Diabetes and Obesity
Led by Dr. Moustaid-Moussa, Collaboration with Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, led by Dr. Moustaid-Moussa

Impact of a diet featuring pH enhanced ground beef on reducing the risk of developing cancer and obesity
Led by Dr. Moustaid-Moussa; Collaboration between the TTU Obesity Research Center (ORC ), TTU International Center for Food Industry Excellence (ICFIE), COHS, CASNR and CAS faculty

Integrated Gene And miRNA Networks Mediating Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Omega 3 Fatty Acids In Diet-Induced Obesity.
Led by Dr. Pahlavani, with Dr. Moustaid-Moussa as a mentor

Protective Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.
Led by Dr. Naima Moustaid-Moussa, Co-investigators are Breanna Harris from Biological Sciences, and Latha Ramalingam (NS). Funding by The National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Much of the NIOR team's work was presented to colleagues at the American Society of Nutrition (ASN) Conference. The College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University sent 31 individuals in total to the conference, with many faculty and presenters with work published in top peer-reviewed journals like The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Advances in Nutrition and The Journal of Nutrition, and the Current Developments in Nutrition.

We celebrate the continued research contributions of our NIOR Lab and our Nutritional Sciences department.