PHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO COMBAT THE GLOBAL EPIDEMIC OF OBESITY HAVE MET WITH LIMITED SUCCESS DESPITE INTENSIVE INVESTMENTS IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT. POLYPHENOLS ARE A DIVERSE CLASS OF PHYTOCHEMICALS, NATURALLY OCCUR IN PLANT FOODS THAT INTERACT WITH NUMEROUS PATHWAYS REGULATING CELLULAR METABOLISM. THIS PROJECT INTEGRATES RESEARCH AND EDUCATION TO ADDRESS OBESITY PREVENTION BY DEVELOPING NEW MECHANISTIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW DIETARY POLYPHENOLS INFLUENCE GROWTH AND METABOLISM OF ADIPOSE TISSUE IN WAYS THAT MAY HELP TO PREVENT OBESITY. WE WILL TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT INCREASING POLYPHENOL-RICH FOODS (PPF) INTAKE INCREASES CELLULAR ENERGY EXPENDITURE IN WAYS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL FOR THE PREVENTION OF OBESITY. THE RESEARCH COMPONENT WILL INITIALLY FOCUS ON CHARACTERIZING THE SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF PPF ON ADIPOGENESIS AND METABOLISM IN AN EXPERIMENTAL HUMAN OBESITY MODEL, EMPHASIZING THE UNDERLYING MOLECULAR MECHANISMS. CONCURRENTLY, WE WILL USE THE RESEARCH FRAMEWORK CONDUCTED HEREIN TO DEVELOP AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM AIMED AT EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH THE NECESSARY TRAINING AND SKILLS TO (1) IDENTIFY POLYPHENOL-RICH PLANT FOODS, (2) COMPARE THE RISK-BENEFIT PROFILES OF WHOLE FOODS VERSUS ISOLATED POLYPHENOLS, AND (3) CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE ROLE OF POLYPHENOLS AND PPFS IN OBESITY AND RELATED COMORBIDITIES. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM THIS PROPOSAL WILL REDEFINE OBESITY TREATMENT STRATEGIES AND PROVIDE NOVEL INSIGHTS INTO DEVELOPING MORE EFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE, NATURAL, AND SUSTAINABLE APPROACHES WITH LONG-TERM CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE. THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT, WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OF EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES, THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN INFORMING THESE GUIDELINES, THE GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND HOW TO LOCATE RELEVANT GUIDELINES.