Vision

Building the science to promote healthy body weight.


Mission

The University of Minnesota Healthy Weight Research Center (U of M HWRC) mission is to:

  • Foster innovative transdisciplinary research by investigators within and outside of the University of Minnesota.
  • Prepare the next generation of healthy weight researchers and leaders.
  • Support evidence-based decision making by connecting the community (including policy makers, public health officials, program planners, advocates and the media) to peer-reviewed research on healthy body weight.

Current Activities

  • Supporting the professional development of students and faculty, as well as fostering collaboration around new research ideas, by hosting an on-going scientific seminar series.
  • Sharing and stimulating new research ideas by organizing and hosting visiting scholars.
  • Connecting University of Minnesota researchers and students to research and professional development opportunities through an active listserv.
  • Maintaining a state-of-the-art lending library of equipment, software and protocols, in order to provide a time-saving resource to support healthy weight research by faculty and students at the University of Minnesota.
  • Providing community partners with peer-reviewed research findings related to healthy body weight.

Co-directors

  • Melissa N. Laska, PhD, RD, McKnight Distinguished University Professor, Epidemiology & Community Health
  • Nancy Sherwood, PhD, Professor, Epidemiology & Community Health