Enrichment Program

The well-established Enrichment Program is an integral component of the core NORC mission at the University of Washington. The Enrichment Program proactively supports collaboration within, and the educational enrichment of, the local nutrition and obesity research community. The Enrichment Program fulfills this mission by hosting visits by world-class scientists to expose NORC Affiliate Investigators (AIs), trainees, and the greater community to cutting-edge ideas, by facilitating interdisciplinary exchange and research collaboration, and by creating an exciting intellectual environment to increase the visibility of basic and clinical aspects of nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and metabolism research. Furthermore, this curriculum is closely integrated with the two NIH-funded T32 Fellowship Training programs within the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition so as to enhance the overall educational experience of trainees in the field of nutrition and metabolism.

DIABETES AND METABOLISM SEMINAR SERIES

The Diabetes and Metabolism Seminar Series is a joint collaboration between the NORC, the NIH-funded Diabetes Research Center (DRC), the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute (UWMDI) and the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI). Held throughout the academic year, the series features presentations on body weight regulation and obesity pathogenesis, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes/insulin resistance, lipotoxicity and inflammation, lipids and lipoproteins, diabetes complications and atherosclerosis, islet biology and regeneration, and clinical research in obesity and diabetes. Included within this program is the annual NORC/DRC retreat, a full-day symposia featuring presentations by Core Directors and P&F recipients. In addition, a local rising star presentation and invited keynote speaker are included each year to provide state-of-the-art lectures in the field of nutrition research.

2020-2021 Diabetes and Metabolism Calendar

• October 8, 2020 Recent Advances in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Obesity
• November 12, 2020 Diabetes Research Center/Nutrition Obesity Research Center Annual Retreat Part I
• November 19, 2020 Diabetes Research Center/Nutrition Obesity Research Center Annual Retreat Part II
• December 10, 2020 Islet Biology Workshop
• January 13, 2021 Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes Workshop
• February 10, 2021 Diabetes Research Center – Diabetes and Heart Failure 
• February 18, 2021 Stanford Diabetes Research Center – Insulin 100th Birthday Celebration 
• February 24, 2021 A Tribute to Jerry palmer Featuring 2021 Poll Visiting Scholar Lecture
• March 18, 2021 2021 Kroc Visiting Scholar Lecture 
• April 8, 2021 Mind Over Matter: CNS Contributions to Nutrition and Obesity (Register for Zoom Link Here)
• April 29, 2021 2021 Annual Symposium – Immunometabolism and Metabolic Disease (Register for Zoom Link Here)
• May 19, 2021 Diabetes Day Part I
• May 26, 2021 Diabetes Day Part II

NORC/CORA ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM

New this year, the NORC is partnering with the UW Collaborative on Obesity Research and Action (CORA), a consortium of Seattle-area scientists based at UW, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Fred Hutch, VAPSHCS, and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) who study, treat, and work to prevent obesity and related chronic diseases to hold a joint-symposium. CORA’s mission is to utilize expertise in health and social sciences to address the biological, social, economic, and environmental issues that underlie chronic disease, using innovative tools and technology.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

An important component of the Enrichment Program is the inclusion of a lunchtime meeting where trainees supported by T32 awards and other sources present their data to visiting speakers and a small group of local faculty and trainees, providing a valuable opportunity for trainees to interact in a small group setting with leading investigators from around the country and gain from their experience and perspectives. In addition, when visiting speakers are in town they will attend and participate in the discussions in the weekly UWMDI Research Training Conference (RTC) where trainees supported by our T32 fellowship program present their research for critical input from faculty and their peers.