On October 2, 2026, GENI, REACH, and Strong4Life co-hosted Building Bridges: A Workshop to Advance Pediatric Obesity Research at Emory and Children’s at Emory University’s HSRB I Rollins Auditorium. The day-long event brought together researchers, healthcare providers, and community partners from Emory and Children’s to foster new collaborations and strengthen existing partnerships aimed at advancing pediatric obesity and cardiometabolic health research.

A highlight of the workshop was the virtual keynote presentation, Food is Medicine in the 21st Century, delivered by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University. Attendees also participated in research presentations, roundtable discussions, poster sessions, networking opportunities, and a Specific Aims Development Power Hour designed to support future research collaborations and grant development.

The workshop concluded with recognition of two outstanding poster presentations: The NOURISH Project: Potential for Obesity Prevention through School-Based Food Pantries in Georgia, presented by Ana Arana, MPH, and Notch Signaling Disrupts Ghrelin-cell Identity During Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, presented by Rina Shou, BS. The event underscored the importance of collaboration in advancing pediatric obesity and cardiometabolic health research.