# Patient-Oriented Research for Cardiometabolic Health in Children

> **NIH NIH K24** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $127,645

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The goal of this K24 Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research is to enhance the ability of Dr.
Miriam Vos to train, mentor, and support new investigators in patient-oriented research in the field of early
cardiometabolic disease. The wide accessibility of dietary sugars in childhood has contributed to the childhood
onset of insulin resistance, central weight gain, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis. One of the most important
questions is the reversibility of cardiometabolic disease in children – particularly with interventions in the pre-
pubertal time period before adult phenotype weight gain occurs. My short-term research goals are to understand
the physiologic changes in children that lead to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD,
formerly named NAFLD) onset and to test sugar reduction as a prevention for MASLD and the accompanying
insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. My long-term research goals are to develop an evidence base that will lead
to public health campaigns to reduce the prevalence and severity of MASLD in children and to advance the field
toward precise nutrition recommendations for children, targeted to their physiologic and genetic propensities.
These goals align with the NHLBI Strategic Vision Objective 3, including identifying the causes of CVD health
differences. My prior experience in clinical trials in children, with embedded mechanistic studies, my leadership
in clinical and translational research, and my collaborations with leading experts in body composition
assessment, omics, machine learning, and genetics provide an exceptional milieu for new investigators. This
K24 application will provide protected time to devote specifically to mentoring new investigators in patient-
oriented research (POR) in the prevention of cardiometabolic disease in children, to support mentee career
advancement, and to nurture their growth into independent investigators. This proposal describes an existing
portfolio of funded research including the R01-funded clinical trial “Prevention of Pediatric MASLD in Hispanic
Children” that creates opportunities for ancillary research projects for mentees. New research is proposed to
explore genetic-environment interactions as drivers of cardiometabolic health in Hispanic/Latino children. The
Aims of this proposal are: 1) To increase mentoring of new investigators, particularly clinical fellows, and early
career faculty, 2) To facilitate patient-oriented research addressing childhood onset cardiometabolic disease and
MASLD, and 3) To support career development activities for the applicant including experience in NIH training
grants, training in leadership and the advancement of persons underrepresented in medicine and training in the
application of genetics in POR. Together, the proposed research, mentoring activities, and career development
activities will expand the discovery of effective prevention strategies for cardiometabolic disease in ch...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10985742
- **Project number:** 1K24HL171937-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MIRIAM B. VOS
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $127,645
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-15 → 2029-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10985742

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10985742, Patient-Oriented Research for Cardiometabolic Health in Children (1K24HL171937-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10985742. Licensed CC0.

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