Eric Ravussin, Ph.D.

I think so. I think so. But I have found memories of our interactions.

I think so. I think so. But I have found memories of our interactions.

I have been for 24 years at Pennington. I was associate executive director for clinical science. I'm not the head of the Pennington. I joined after spending two and a half years at Eli Lilly. And before I was 15 years intramural NIH. And the reason I came to this country was to build the first

I have been for 24 years at Pennington. I was associate executive director for clinical science. I'm not the head of the Pennington. I joined after spending two and a half years at Eli Lilly. And before I was 15 years intramural NIH. And the reason I came to this country was to build the first

metabolic chamber or indirect calorimetry chamber to measure energy expenditure in people over periods of hours and days.

metabolic chamber or indirect calorimetry chamber to measure energy expenditure in people over periods of hours and days.

Yeah, the NIH budget is about $33 to $35 billion, but there is a group which is intramural, but most of the money, 80 to 85%, goes to all the academic institutions doing biomedical research in the country. I like to be intramural.

Yeah, the NIH budget is about $33 to $35 billion, but there is a group which is intramural, but most of the money, 80 to 85%, goes to all the academic institutions doing biomedical research in the country. I like to be intramural.

And I was intramural, but based in Phoenix, Arizona, because I worked a lot with the Pima Indians. We have, as you know, the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the second highest prevalence of obesity in the world. But intramural, what I like, you are judged after the facts. You have a budget and you can do whatever you want, but every three years you are judged.

And I was intramural, but based in Phoenix, Arizona, because I worked a lot with the Pima Indians. We have, as you know, the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the second highest prevalence of obesity in the world. But intramural, what I like, you are judged after the facts. You have a budget and you can do whatever you want, but every three years you are judged.

Whereas extramural, as you know, we chase these grants and you have to basically provide preliminary data, hypotheses, and you are judged before doing the study. And I think you can be much more creative being intramural than extramural. I'm sure that my colleagues intramural are going to hate me that I say that, but it's true. They should enjoy to be judged after the facts rather than before.

Whereas extramural, as you know, we chase these grants and you have to basically provide preliminary data, hypotheses, and you are judged before doing the study. And I think you can be much more creative being intramural than extramural. I'm sure that my colleagues intramural are going to hate me that I say that, but it's true. They should enjoy to be judged after the facts rather than before.

It's becoming, I think, the largest institution for research in nutrition and obesity. We concentrate mostly on nutrition and obesity. We have about 500 people working at Pennington, and everybody is doing research. We have no teaching. I mean, yes, I have postdocs and things like that, but no formal teaching. And we do research, and we chase.

It's becoming, I think, the largest institution for research in nutrition and obesity. We concentrate mostly on nutrition and obesity. We have about 500 people working at Pennington, and everybody is doing research. We have no teaching. I mean, yes, I have postdocs and things like that, but no formal teaching. And we do research, and we chase.

We have maybe a functional budget of $80 million per year. 50% or 45% of that is NIH, extramural money coming to Pennington. We do some sponsored projects for pharma or biotech. We have grants from associations like the American Diabetes Association or American Heart Association and so on.

We have maybe a functional budget of $80 million per year. 50% or 45% of that is NIH, extramural money coming to Pennington. We do some sponsored projects for pharma or biotech. We have grants from associations like the American Diabetes Association or American Heart Association and so on.

And we do basic science, clinical science, and population science, basically, which is to reach the community and implement some of the discovery into the community.

And we do basic science, clinical science, and population science, basically, which is to reach the community and implement some of the discovery into the community.

Yeah, there's two things, indirect calorimetry and direct calorimetry. You generate your energy metabolism or ATP by oxidative process and you oxidize carbohydrate, fat and a little protein. You don't want to oxidize too many proteins. And this basically build up these ATPs, which are used online for generation or maintenance of the cells or activity and so on.

Yeah, there's two things, indirect calorimetry and direct calorimetry. You generate your energy metabolism or ATP by oxidative process and you oxidize carbohydrate, fat and a little protein. You don't want to oxidize too many proteins. And this basically build up these ATPs, which are used online for generation or maintenance of the cells or activity and so on.