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Ricks Family Foundation Match

Ricks Family Foundation to Match New Heartland Nutrition Collaborative

H Eearland Riley Kids Website Header

Every child deserves healthy nutrition that will help them grow, develop and shape their wellbeing. That’s why a $2.5 million donation from Ricks Family Foundation – along with another $2.5 million challenge match – is the catalyst for a new joint research initiative on children’s nutrition between Purdue University and Indiana University.

This partnership seeks to discover how we can modify nutrition to prevent disease, treat chronic and acute illnesses and facilitate healing in children.

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The Idea

“The idea is to shine a light on the role of nutrition in children’s health,” said Christina Ricks, MD, a pediatric physician who leads the Ricks Family Foundation along with her husband, Eli Lilly and Company Chair and CEO David A. Ricks. “Optimal nutrition is needed for growth and development, as well as long-term overall health and wellbeing. Nutrition certainly impacts many conditions, from anxiety and depression to chronic diseases. This is such an exciting area of investigation that extends from the bench research of the microbiome to the social science of behavior change.”

Your donations to the Heartland Nutrition Collaborative will help fuel the following research projects aimed at discovering how early-life food intake can shape and influence both short-term and long-term health.

Breathing Easier: Addressing Obesity-Associated Asthma
With an estimated 35% of children in the U.S. categorized as obese or overweight, more children are at risk of developing obesity-related asthma. Underscoring the need for treatments, the research team is studying the effects of algae oil, a vegetarian source rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). An omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and an additive to foods for children (including brands of infant formula and toddler milk), DHA may help alleviate asthma symptoms by reducing inflammation, improving airway function and protecting lung tissue.
Erick Forno, MD, and Weicang Wang, PhD
Trading Sugar for Sparkles
Adolescents are the heaviest consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages, putting them at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and other chronic health conditions. Using a novel intervention with unsweetened sparkling waters, the research team is testing the hypothesis that preference for sweetness can be reduced by changing the exposure to sweetness over time.
Nana Gletsu Miller, PhD, Cordelia Running, PhD, and Tamara Hannon, MD
Type 1 Diabetes and the Role of the Gut Microbiome
Obesity is prevalent in children with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), making the management of T1D more challenging, and increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease. In research to confirm the link between obesity in T1D and the gut microbiome (microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract), the team is using a novel approach—transplanting human gut microbiota samples into mouse models—to target new therapies.
Heba M. Ismail, MD, PhD, Tzu-Wen Cross, PhD, and Lavanya Reddivari, PhD
Parsnip As Protector Against Fatty Liver
A leading cause of liver transplants, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a common chronic liver disease in children and adults. Building on previous studies, the research team is investigating the potential of “aged” parsnip¬—rich in polyphenols that reduce inflammation—in protecting people from MASH. The study of how parsnip impacts fatty liver disease may help inform the development of dietary supplements or drug therapies that mimic the same action.
Kee Hong Kim, PhD, Menghao Huang, PhD, and Charlie Dong, PhD
Can Gut Health Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?
It’s estimated that one in 300 children and adolescents in the U.S. will be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) by the time they are 20. In research aimed at preventing T1D, the team is studying a specially designed prebiotic fiber mixture optimized to support beneficial gut bacteria and reduce inflammation. The research will explore the novel mixture’s effects in T1D prevention and evaluate its potential benefits for pancreatic health.
Tatsuyoshi Kono, PhD, and Thaisa Cantu Jungles, PhD
Protecting Preemies: Preventing and Treating a Life-Threatening Gastrointestinal Condition
Primarily affecting premature infants, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening gastrointestinal condition. Many infants diagnosed with NEC die from the disease, and of those who survive, 40% go on to develop neurodevelopmental impairments. Using MRI and an advanced technology that measures brain activity, the research team is investigating gut-brain axis signaling and the effects of chondroitin sulfate—a natural anti-inflammatory compound commonly used for osteoarthritis, in the prevention and treatment of NEC.
Troy A. Markel, MD, and Yunjie Tong, PhD
Preventing Flare Ups in Children with Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects one in 1,000 children worldwide. There is currently no cure, with treatment focused primarily on symptom management and preventing complications. With a goal to reduce flare-ups and extend remission, the team has designed a dietary intervention using fiber and anthocyanins—powerful antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables that are known to prevent inflammation.
Lavanya Reddivari, PhD, Tina Zhang, MD, PhD, and Thaisa Cantu Jungles, PhD
Developing New Treatments for Chronic Liver Disease
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a common chronic liver disease in children and a leading cause of liver transplantation. While researchers have made strides in understanding MASH in adults, the disease is clinically different in children, and no current pediatric therapies exist. The research team is among the first in the nation to use innovative organoid technology to create cell models of pediatric liver disease for study in a culture dish. The research is designed to gain a better understanding of pediatric MASH and new insights to develop therapies for children.
Brian DeBosch, MD, and Sunghee (Estelle) Park, PhD
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