# Administrative Core for the Dietary Biomarkers Development Center at Harvard University

> **NIH NIH U2C** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2022 · $230,371

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT/SUMMARY – ADMINISTRATIVE CORE
Traditionally, nutrition research has relied heavily on self-reported measures of dietary intake that are often
prone to measurement error. To date, only a few recovery biomarkers of nutrient intake have been established,
including doubly labeled water for estimating energy intake, 24-hour urinary nitrogen for estimating protein
intake, and 24-hour urinary potassium as a biomarker of potassium intake. This highlights the urgent need to
identify further objective and robust biomarkers of food intakes. Recent advances in high-throughput -omics
technologies and the development of novel bioinformatic tools now enable the unbiased discovery of novel
biomarkers that are sensitive and specific to intakes of foods and food groups. The overall objective of the
Dietary Biomarker Development Center (DBDC) at Harvard University is to identify and validate dietary
biomarkers of important protein and carbohydrate food sources in the US diet by using the state-of-the-art
metabolomic techniques and through a combination of well-controlled dietary intervention trials and
observational studies. Our objective is to establish an Administrative Core will play scientific and
administrative leadership roles by integrating the Intervention Core, Data Analysis Core, Metabolomics Core,
and the Biomarkers Project to improve efficiency, enhance innovation, and extend the breadth and depth of the
science within the DBDC at Harvard and across the DBDC’s and the Data Coordinating Center (DCC). The
Core will be led by Dr. Frank Hu, with co-leadership provided by Dr. Clary Clish. Additional key leadership will
be provided by Executive Committee (EC) members, including the Core PIs and Directors and the Project
Director, Dr. Shilpa Bhupathiraju. The DBDC at Harvard Center brings together investigators of diverse
backgrounds and expertise to identify novel biomarkers of several important carbohydrate and protein sources
in the US diet. The expertise in our research team is wide-ranging, covering dietary assessment, population
science, nutritional biochemistry, bioinformatics, and biotechnologies. The stimulating intellectual environment
in the Longwood/Harvard Medical Area is highly conducive for carrying out this research. The Center will take
full advantage of institutional commitment and resources provided by HSPH and other participating institutions,
as well as those provided by the broader Harvard community, such as Harvard Catalyst and the Harvard
Nutrition and Obesity Research Center. The infrastructure for the Administrative Core will provide a strong and
visionary leadership role in science, administration, and dissemination for the DBDC at Harvard University.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10461132
- **Project number:** 5U2CDK129670-02
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Frank B Hu
- **Activity code:** U2C (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $230,371
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-16 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10461132

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10461132, Administrative Core for the Dietary Biomarkers Development Center at Harvard University (5U2CDK129670-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10461132. Licensed CC0.

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