Amira Abdellatef, PhD, and Isis Trujillo-Gonzalez, PhD, of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute have been awarded a Pilot and Feasibility Program grant from SPLENDOR-NC. This award provides funding to early-career scientists to support research that advances understanding in nutrition, obesity, and diabetes.
SPLENDOR-NC (Supporting, Promoting, and Launching Expansion of Nutrition, Diabetes, and Obesity Researchers in North Carolina) is a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen research capacity in the state by supporting emerging scientists. The program not only provides funding but also fosters mentorship and professional development opportunities for scholars across six participating institutions. By investing in innovative research and early-career investigators, SPLENDOR-NC contributes to advancing scientific knowledge and improving public health outcomes.
Amira Abdellatef, PhD joined the NRI in 2022 after completing her PhD in cancer biology and immunology at the University of Toyama in Japan. As a postdoctoral research associate in the S. Krupenko lab, her research focuses on the function of folate enzymes in cellular metabolism and their association with human diseases. Abdellatef will use the SPLENDOR-NC grant to explore how diet influences the initiation and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma, a primary form of liver cancer. Her project aims to uncover how nutritional factors may influence liver cancer risk, especially in the context of obesity, a significant risk factor for the disease.
Isis Trujillo-Gonzalez, PhD is an assistant professor of Nutrition. She joined the NRI in 2015 to conduct her postdoctoral research under Steve Zeisel, MD, PhD, the NRI’s founding director. Upon completion of her postdoc appointment, Trujillo-Gonzalez secured her own lab where she employs molecular and neuroscience methodologies to investigate the impact of choline on brain function and health. She will use the SPLENDOR-NC grant to continue her work in this realm by investigating how choline supports the growth of new neurons in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most pressing public health challenges. It is the leading cause of dementia, affecting 1 in 9 Americans aged 65 and older. Trujillo-Gonzalez’s research seeks to determine how choline, an essential nutrient, may support brain health and neurogenesis, potentially offering new strategies for cognitive decline prevention.
SPLENDOR-NC offers two levels of funding within the P&F Program: $10,000 awards for career development and research-related expenses such as training, travel, and lab supplies, and $50,000 awards to support more extensive pilot projects aimed at securing future grants. By securing these $50,000 grants, Abdellatef and Trujillo-Gonzalez have the financial support needed to launch their research projects, gather preliminary data, and strengthen their competitiveness for larger, externally funded grants.
Abdellatef’s and Trujillo-Gonzalez’s projects highlight the vital role of nutrition science in addressing pressing health challenges, from liver cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. Their innovative research supported by SPLENDOR-NC has the potential to shape future studies and interventions in these critical areas.