Centres of Research Excellence Fund

2006 Expressions of Interest

Centre for Translational Research in Chronic Diseases: Obesity

Director:   Prof. Jim Mann
Host:         University of Otago

Partners:    Auckland University of Technology
                  The University of Auckland
                  Massey University
                  Lincoln University
                  Ngati Porou Hauora

Abstract:

New Zealand has distinctive public health problems. It also has a unique opportunity to take a global lead in developing generic skills and research training programmes that will address our public health problems and provide insight into potential international solutions. The Centre will do this by looking at chronic diseases through the process of translational research. The initial focus will be on obesity, the leading cause of many chronic diseases in New Zealand and overseas.

The Centre will unite multidisciplinary research groupings, containing researchers of international standing from five New Zealand universities, to identify needs and provide effective, socially inclusive and sustainable solutions for evidence-based management and public policies. They will drive the entire process of translational research, establishing research questions and new prediction tools from observational research, to address basic-science mechanisms in the inter-regulation of eating and physical activity, through clinical trials (Phase-1 translation), controlled family- and community- interventions and then population-directed policy measures (Phase-2 translation) which need to be made sustainable by research into continuous improvement methods (Phase-3 translation).

Adapting WHO Guidelines, the Centre will nurture new research capacity to integrate (1)-promotion of healthful behaviours with (2)-evidence-based public-policy approaches to create supportive physical, educational, fiscal and food environments, and (3)-improved clinical responses to the existing burden of obesity-related ill-health, recognising that severely affected individuals and subgroups in New Zealand may demand specific management, based on new research.

Although many countries have excellent physical activity and ‘healthy eating’ strategies, these have not curbed the rise in obesity.  High-level multisectoral research, reflecting New Zealand national identity and ‘can-do’ attitudes, valuing fitness and the environment, with a government supporting continuous improvement, offers real prospects of incisive advances of international importance.