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Administrative Core

How the Center for Human Nutrition Works

The Center for Human Nutrition(CHN), currently directed by Dr. James Hill, is an interdepartmental center of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center(UCHSC) established in 1988. It has grown rapidly over the past 12 years, and now includes over 70 investigators studying the role of nutrition and physical activity in health at the basic science and clinical level. The current Director, Dr. James O. Hill, assumed directorship of the CHN in December 1998. Dr. Hill is a professor with an appointment to the Department of Pediatrics.

The CNRU (Colorado Clinical Nutrition Unit) is a grant awarded by NIH/NIDDK to Dr. James Hill, Principal Investigator. Dr. Hill is also the Director for the Center for Human Nutrition. The CNRU falls under the Center for Human Nutrition.

The Colorado CNRU is nearing completion of its eighth year of existence. The CNRU has had an important impact with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center by successfully fostering collaboration among members of its research base, promoting interdisciplinary research and fostering development of young investigators. Our researchers continue to be successful in attracting funding and in publishing research results. The research reputation of the Colorado CNRU has has grown both within the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and nationally and internationally.

The CNRU's key objective is to foster an environment of interactive nutrition research traning and education. The administrative core continues to be effective in maintaining structure and communication among CNRU members. The monthly executive committee meetings provide direction and oversight for the program. Our external advisory committee is funcitoning well and has made important contributions to the CNRU. We continue to get outstanding proposals for pilot and feasibility grants from our young investigators. The CNRU administrative core provides that structure, communication among CNRU members, manages day-to-day operations of the CNRU, manages the CNRU Research base, oversees and prioritizes use of Core Facilities, oversees Pilot and Feasibility studies, provides support to and manages enrichment programs, as well as many other duties that make the CNRU effective. Because of CNRU's objectives, the administrator's duties (and the CNRU administrative staff) are to support a number of grants and enrichment programs, across campus (including Center for Human Nutrition grants and programs).

The Administrative, Energy Balance, Metabolic and Mass Spectrometry Core Laboratories are operating efficiently, and the use of these core laboratories is growing. Our next major CNRU research retreat is planned for the spring of 2003 in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CNRU and to solicit new suggestions for how best to meet the needs of our research base.

Processes within the Center

The Center for HUman Nutrition provides some of the following services:

• Manages the day-to-day operations of the CNRU
• Manages the CNRU Research Base
• Oversees and prioritizes the use of CNRU Core Facilities
• Provides and manages the communication service
• Encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration among nutrition investigators
• Provides long-term direction for the CNRU
• Integrates and implements scientific and policy advice from the internal and external advisory committees
• Review of financial reports to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and University/Campus policies
• Provision of and access to financial reporting
• Creation of annual reports with projections and budgets (including salary planning), and monitoring of monthly results to ensure positive financial performance
• Perform financial impact analysis of project and program changes and recommend adjustments to achieve budgetary and research goals
• Assist in proglem solving, including support of traning, materials sourcing, materials development, and technical support
• Assist in purchasing
• Assist with grants, contract proposals, and awards
• Assist with Human Resources needs and issues
• Record Retention

CNRU Internal Executive Committee defined - meets monthly
James O. Hill, PhD
Robert Eckel, MD
Uwe Christians, MD
Wendy Kohrt, PhD
Jed Friedman, PhD
Daniel Bessessen, MD
Paul Fennessey, PhD
Gay Israel, PhD (Colorado State University)
Robert Schwartz, MD
Bill Hay, MD

CNRU External Executive Committee defined - meets annually
Dr. John Jakcic, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. William Heird, Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Barbara Kahn, Harvard Medical School
Dr. John Peters, Procter & Gamble
Dr. Robert Wolfe, University of Texas Medical School
Dr. Steve Clarke, Louisiana State University
Dr. Steve Woods, University of Cincinnati

Center for Human Nutrition Executive Committee - meets every other month
James O. Hill, PhD
Holly Wyatt, MD - fiscal oversight
Wendy Kohrt, PhD - research oversight
Daniel Bessessen, MD - personnel oversight
Andra Price - administrative oversight

Administrative Core Meeting - meets weekly
James O. Hill, CHN Director
Holly Wyatt, MD, Executive Committee Member
Andra Price, Administrator
Ann Sauer, Accountant
Joanna Kriehn, Nutrient Balance
Joann Phillipp, Look Ahead
Helen Thompson, Research Coordinator
Joanie Jones, Community Research Coordinator
Bonnie Jortberg, Centers for Obesity Research and Education/Colorado Weigh
Carrie Brill, Atkins
Ed Melanson, Post-Doc Representative
Janine Higgins, Amylose
Paul MacLean, MSE Ingest