CORC Mini-Grant Projects

The goal of the Childhood Obesity Research Core (CORC) Mini-Grant Funding Opportunity was to provide financial support to catalyze novel cross-disciplinary partnerships and strengthen childhood nutrition and overweight/obesity pilot research. Similar to the Momentum Center’s Pilot and Feasibility grants, it is expected that this funding mechanism will support the:

• Development of collaborative working relationships
• Formation of new research ideas
• Enhancement of current research methodologies, and/or
• Generation of preliminary data to support the pursuit of future extramural funding opportunities.

A study team with at least two investigators was required, and applicants were encouraged to form teams comprised of basic, translational, and health services researchers alongside clinicians. See below for a list of awarded projects.

Learn more about the CORC mini-grant funding opportunity here.

Awarded Projects

Understanding the contribution of neonatal circulating insulin levels to accelerated infant growth trajectory and adiposity risk

• Brigid Gregg, Principal Investigator
  Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Medical School and Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health
• Lindsay Ellsworth, Co-Investigator
  Clinical Lecturer in Pediatrics, Medical School

Screening children for social determinants of health in pediatric clinic settings: Implications for childhood obesity prevention

• Alison Miller, Principal Investigator
  Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health
• Rebeccah Sokol, Co-Investigator
  Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health
• Layla Mohammed, Co-Investigator
  Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Medical School

Identifying epigenetic biomarkers of childhood obesity

• Jaclyn Goodrich, Principal Investigator
  Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health
• Dana Dolinoy, Co-Investigator
  NSF International Department Chair of Environmental Health Sciences, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Professor of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health

Healthy sleep as a predictor of successful weight loss in adolescents with obesity

• Bethany J. Gaffka, Principal Investigator
  Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Medical School
• Erica Jansen, Co-Investigator
  Research Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health

Examining housing as a determinant of child health: The Stable Tenure And Youth Health (STAY-Health) Study

• Roshanak Mehdipanah, Principal Investigator
  Assistant Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health
• Alison Miller, Co-Investigator
  Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health

Food insecurity and body mass index in children: A longitudinal study

• Cindy Leung, Principal Investigator
  Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health
• Julia Wolfson, Co-Investigator
  Adjunct Assistant Professor, Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health & Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health