The Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center was awarded a $19.9 million grant to study obesity, one of the state's most pressing health concerns, according to WTOK News.
The National Institutes of Health will provide $19.9 million to fund obesity-related research at the MississippiCenter for Clinical and Translational Research throughout a five-year period. It is the largest grant the medical center has ever received.
The new center will focus on studying prevention, diagnosis and treatment of obesity. The CDC reports 35 percent of adults in the state are obese.