With an 86-year history in delivering innovative nutrition products, Abbott Nutrition, Abbott Park, IL, is paving the way toward a new understanding of how nutrition and brain cognition interact. More than a year ago Abbott Nutrition and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) established the first-ever multi-disciplinary nutrition and cognition research center known as The Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory.
 
“Cognition is one of Abbot’s top global priorities alongside innovative nutritional solutions because of its potential to impact and improve every stage of life,” said Dr. Virginia Giddings, head of Global Partner Development at Abbott Nutrition. Dr. Giddings, who has worked with Abbott for eight years and has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, nutritional and medical device industries, believes the partnership between Abbott and UIUC will take previous research in the field of cognition to the next level.
 
“While there has been previous work done in the area of cognition, the field of cognition is very complex. What we want to do with the partnership with UIUC is bring cognition research to the next level. Forming this type of partnership allows us to access a very large network that extends into 10 other academic institutions outside of UIUC that include the University of California Berkeley and Harvard University.”
 
A Smart Approach
The importance of cognition research extends far beyond academic achievement and into how nutrition can extend the lifespan and improve quality of life. “We’ve already seen in places like Asia a significant focus on cognition and academic achievement,” continued Dr. Giddings, “and consumers have a really strong interest in functional foods and how they address brain health. Cognitive health is something that needs to be addressed throughout the entire lifespan.”
 
One of the advantages of working with UIUC is the ability to incorporate two world-renowned research facilities on the UIUC campus, the Institute for Genomic Biology and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
 
Much of the research will continue to be funded through grants that run anywhere from one to three years; and only two years into the project, many of these grants are proving their worth. “We have seen really interesting results in terms of nutritional ingredients and how they’re impacting and enhancing behavioral outcomes that are age appropriate. We have been observing structural and functional changes in the brain,” added Dr. Giddings.
 
Research proposals for funding ranging from $50,000 to $1 million can be submitted to the Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory. More information on proposal submission and current projects at the Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory can be found at http://cnlm.illinois.edu.