Posted on December 20, 2004 at 10:00 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., assistant professor of Nutrition Sciences in the School of Health Related Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), has received the 2004 Future Leader award from the North American branch of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI N.A.). The award provides St-Onge with funding for research into the effects of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil on weight loss.

Previous work by St-Onge and others has shown that medium-chain triglycerides increase energy expenditure and lead to changes in body composition when consumed as part of a controlled, weight maintenance diet.

“MCT oil has been suggested for use as a weight loss aid, but no research has so far examined its effects in a weight loss program,” said St-Onge. “This award will fund a study to look at whether MCT oil should be promoted as part of a healthy weight loss plan and considered as functional food for weight management and the prevention of obesity.”

“This award not only provides recognition of Dr. St-Onge’s outstanding achievements, but also reflects most proudly on our university,” said Harold P. Jones, Ph.D., dean of the School of Health Related Professions. “We are fortunate to have scientists of Dr. St-Onge’s caliber at UAB.”

St-Onge is the third member of UAB’s faculty to receive this award, joining earlier recipients Timothy R. Nagy, Ph.D. and David B. Allison, Ph.D.

ILSI N.A. is a nonprofit scientific research and educational foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. that identifies and evaluates food, nutrition and related food safety issues that are of importance to academic, government and industry scientists. The institute contributes to the scientific resolution of those issues for the benefit of the general public. Founded in 1985, ILSI N.A. has 60 corporate members.