“At Pennington Biomedical Research Center we put science to work on solutions for a healthier Louisiana and world through data-supported research. Over the past twenty-seven years our expertise has helped shape the way Americans eat, exercise and age.
Our research is transparent because our science is our stock-in-trade. The funders of our grants and contracts do not determine research outcomes, the science always does—and we publish the results of our scientific research in peer-reviewed scientific journals whether they are favorable to the sponsor or not.
ISCOLE was a large international five-year project funded in 2010 through a grant from The Coca-Cola Company to study childhood obesity. Pennington Biomedical Research Center was chosen to lead the study, which was designed and conducted by 240 researchers, staff and students from 12 universities around the globe—and the results are being published in leading scientific journals. In the past five years, the company also contracted with us to conduct smaller research projects.
Throughout our history, we have partnered with countless groups to share our research expertise. Like similar academic research centers across the country, Pennington Biomedical Research Center receives funding from a variety of governmental sponsors, as well as private sponsors such as non-profits and industry, including pharmaceutical and nutrition companies.
The approximate breakdown of our current research funding sources includes: 50% federal/NIH, 14% federal/other, 11% state contracts, 10% sub-awards/subcontracts, 8% food/nutrition, 5% pharmaceutical, 2% other private sources. As a state entity and recipient of federal, state and private funds, we comply with all appropriate ethical safeguards and often actively engage external advisory boards or outside reviews of means, methods and findings to assure the quality of our science. We also disclose funding sources and potential conflicts of interest in published papers and press releases.
Our goal is to continue enabling progress on treatments for the diseases affecting so many in this country and right here in Louisiana—including obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Given this, the potential exists to partner with business and industry in the biomedical arena. We see a bright future ahead if we can become less reliant on unpredictable federal and state funding, and shift toward growing our research and bringing our ideas and expertise to the marketplace.”
—Pennington Biomedical Research Center
