Heartland Children's Nutrition Collaborative awards inaugural grants to fuel joint IU and Purdue research on pediatric health and nutrition concerns

The Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and the Purdue University College of Agriculture Department of Food Science have partnered to establish the Heartland Children’s Nutrition Collaborative, a new research initiative aimed at uncovering the critical role of early-life nutrition in shaping both immediate and long-term health outcomes. The program has also announced the recipients of its inaugural pilot project grants, which focus on advancing research to improve the health and well-being of children in Indiana and beyond.

Supported by the Ricks Family Foundation through the Riley Children’s Foundation, projects funded by the Heartland Children’s Nutrition Collaborative will explore the biochemical, physiological and metabolic mechanisms behind the rising prevalence of pediatric health concerns like obesity, diabetes and other nutrition-related conditions.

The program is co-led by Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD, director of the Indiana Diabetes Research Center and the Eli Lilly and Company Professor of Pediatric Diabetes at the IU School of Medicine, and Senay Simsek, PhD, professor and head of the Department of Food Science at Purdue’s College of Agriculture.

“As childhood conditions such as obesity and diabetes rise at alarming rates, the need for innovative, multidisciplinary research has never been greater,” said Evans-Molina. “We’re thrilled that several exceptional investigators will receive support to address these challenges while continuing to strengthen the collaborative bond between IU and Purdue.”

“This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing pressing health challenges,” said Simsek. “These inaugural projects not only mark a significant step in understanding the complex interplay between diet and health, but they also set the stage for long-term advancements that will benefit children across Indiana and beyond.”

The 2025 pilot grant program will support ten Heartland Children’s Nutrition Collaborative projects and their principal investigators: 

• “Decoding the Gut-Pancreas Axis: Innovative Dietary Fiber Prebiotic Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Onset Prevention”
  • Thaisa Cantu-Jungles, PhD, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
  • Tatsu Kono, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
• “Fecal Microbial Transplantation in Germ-Free Mice: A Novel Approach to Understanding Obesity and Gut Microbiome Dynamics Related to Type 1 Diabetes”
  • Tzu-Wen Cross, PhD, Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
  • Heba Ismail, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
  • Lavanya Reddivari, PhD, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
• “Leveraging chip-based organoids to define nutritional impacts in pediatric liver”
  • Brian DeBosch, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
  • Sunghee Park, PhD, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
• “Protective Effects of Chondriotin Sulfate in a Piglet Model of Necrotizing Entercolotis”
  • Troy Markel, MD, Department of Surgery, IU School of Medicine
  • Yunjie Tong, PhD, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
• “Replenish preterm infant nutrient deficits to rescue adult pathologic disease”
  • Gregory Henderson, PhD, Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
  • Margaret Schwarz, MD, Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
• “Role of parsnip polyphenols in the prevention and treatment of MASLD and MASH”
  • Menghao Huang, PhD, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IU School of Medicine
  • Kee-Hong Kim, PhD, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
• “Supplementation of gut-brain axis (GLP-1)-activating carbohydrates for weight loss for adolescents with obesity”
  • Bruce Hamaker, PhD, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
  • Sara Naramore, MD, Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
• “Targeting Lipid Mediators in Obesity-Associated Pediatric Asthma: Dietary DHA from Algae Oil as a Novel Intervention”
  • Erick Forno, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
  • Weicang Wang, PhD, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
• “Trading Sugar for Sparkles in Adolescents, A Sensory Approach for Reducing Added Sugar from Sweetened Beverages”
  • Nana Gletsu Miller, PhD, Department of Applied Health Science, IU School of Public Health
  • Cordelia Running, PhD, Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
• “Fiber and anthocyanin complexes as direct modifiers of microbial dysbiosis and associated inflammation in pediatric ulcerative colitis”
  • Thaisa Cantu-Jungles, PhD, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
  • Lavanya Reddivari, PhD, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
  • Tina Zhang, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine

The inaugural group of grant recipients will convene in the spring of 2025 to present their initial findings and network with colleagues. For questions, please contact Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD, at CDMD@iu.edu or Senay Simsek, PhD, at ssimsek@purdue.edu.

Beyond seeding the collaborative with a generous donation, the Ricks Family Foundation – led by Christina Ricks, MD, and her husband David A. Ricks – is offering to match up to $2.5 million in donations from individuals, foundations and corporations to the Heartland Children’s Nutrition Collaborative Fund at Riley Children’s Foundation. Donations will fund continued research related to children’s nutrition.

Dr. Ricks recently joined the Riley Children’s Foundation Board of Governors. Mr. Ricks served on the Riley Children’s Foundation Board from 2012 through 2022, including five years as chair, and has been appointed to the Purdue University Board of Trustees effective January 1. Dr. and Mr. Ricks are each graduates of both Purdue and IU.