M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Senior Fellow, Dr. Kent Thornburg, named Interim Director of the Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness.
“Dean Mark Richardson has named Kent Thornburg, PhD, Interim Director of the OHSU Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness. The Moore Institute was created by a generous legacy gift from Bob and Charlee Moore to OHSU.
The core commitment of the Moore Institute is to make a lasting impact on the health of people everywhere by accelerating the application of a new body of knowledge – emerging from the field of medicine now known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease – which links early life nutrition with later onset of chronic adult diseases.
The Moore Institute’s goal is to reduce the prevalence of adult chronic diseases by promoting healthy, nutrient-rich diets before conception, during pregnancy and lactation, and in infancy and early childhood. The Moore Institute will establish and support programs and initiatives that comprehensively address the complex clinical and social factors that together contribute to unhealthy dietary choices or limited access to healthy foods.
“The potential of the Moore Institute is transformational, and Kent’s wise leadership at its formative stage will help establish the strong intellectual and programmatic foundation essential for long-term success and impact,” said Dean Richardson.
Dr. Thornburg is a Professor of Medicine within the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. He holds joint academic appointments in three additional School of Medicine departments, reflecting the breadth of his research interests and expertise. He is Associate Chief for Research in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Director of the OHSU Heart Research Center, and co-chair of a national task force assigned to determine the 10-year vision of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health.
“What we aspire to achieve through the Moore Institute could have a lasting impact on individual and population health, and I am honored to serve as Interim Director,” said Dr. Thornburg. “Research over the past two decades has shown us that appropriate maternal, fetal and early life nutrition can dramatically decrease the manifestation of many adult diseases. Our charge – and challenge – will be to integrate this information into our communities in ways that demonstrably improve human health.”
Dr. Thornburg joined the OHSU faculty in 1975. In addition to being an internationally known and widely published researcher, he is consistently recognized by students and faculty as an outstanding educator, having received dozens of the School of Medicine’s annual Excellence in Teaching Awards. He is a dedicated mentor to junior investigators, a sought-after lecturer and is committed to community service within OHSU and beyond.
“Please join me in congratulating Kent Thornburg, as well as thanking him – and the Moores – for what I am confident will be their role in catalyzing a new era of good health for generations to come,” said Dean Richardson.”
