<p> In an effort to accelerate the conversion of research findings into better treatments for obesity-related diseases, the MRC has announced the MRC Centre for Obesity and Related Metabolic Diseases (MRC-CORD) at the University of Cambridge. <p>

Obesity is an increasing problem throughout the world, causing a heightened risk of many different health problems including diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

The new centre will focus on improving our understanding of the fundamental causes of obesity and how it is related to insulin resistance, diabetes and cardiovascular disease by researching the basic mechanisms of these diseases.

The director of the centre, Professor Steve O'Rahilly, said, “We want this centre to become a world leader for translational research into obesity, improving our understanding of its causes and consequences. The scientists we are bringing together here come from a variety of areas within biomedical research.

“We also have strong links with the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and food industries. This centre will enhance these interactions to ensure that any breakthroughs in our understanding of the disease are rapidly translated into improvements in human health.”

The centre will build upon the strengths of existing expertise at the University and will complement the MRC Epidemiology Unit (which specialises in the public health aspects of obesity and diabetes), ensuring a strong scientific relationship between the two.

It will draw academics from a wide range of disciplines and also work closely with the nearby MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Unit and MRC Collaborative Centre in Human Nutrition Research, as well as the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. The Centre and the MRC Epidemiology Unit will both be based within the new Institute of Metabolic Science which will open in October on the Addenbrooke's Hospital site.

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