Oklahoma State University has announced plans to build a state-of-the-art facility on the Stillwater campus to serve as the headquarters of the new Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute.
The institute will develop preventative therapeutic strategies to combat obesity and chronic disease as well as provide practical, research-based solutions with the goal of improving health outcomes across Oklahoma. The institute will be headquartered on Hall of Fame Avenue adjacent to the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.
Building specifications will be finalized following the selection this spring of an architectural firm.
"This first-of-a-kind institute is sparking collaboration between our academic, medical, veterinary and sports research experts to elevate the very definition of a land-grant university system," says Oklahoma State President Kayse Shrum. "Our goal is to generate a greater understanding of human performance, and then take that knowledge to positively change health outcomes for all Oklahomans.”
The institute has secured an initial $50 million funding package from the State of Oklahoma through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Three strategic pillars will guide the institute's work:
- Investigate and innovate human optimization
- Teach and inspire the next generation of students, service providers and solutions
- Extend and amplify outreach that empowers individuals' performance and health
