Research Programs and Centers

At Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI), our programs and centers bring together experts across disciplines to tackle the most complex challenges in child health. From nutrition and obesity to asthma, birth defects and translational science, our teams are advancing discoveries that improve outcomes for children in Arkansas and beyond.

Research Centers

Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center

The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) was established in 1994 through a partnership between Arkansas Children’s and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the last thirty years, the ACNC has been at the forefront of enhancing maternal and child health through nutrition and physical activity. ACNC investigators conduct innovative research, training and engagement to advance understanding of how parental-child diet, nutrition and physical activity optimize development.

Director: Colin Kay, Ph.D.

National Center for Opioid and Addiction Research & Clinical Effectiveness

The National Center for Opioid and Addiction Research & Clinical Effectiveness (NCOAR) at ACRI is a first-of-its-kind research center dedicated to understanding how the opioid crisis impacts children and families. The 65,000-square-foot facility will offer research and community outreach, aiming to empower affected families and improve health outcomes.

Director: Alicia Allen, Ph.D., M.P.H. 

Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention

The Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP) at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) is a multidisciplinary research center focused on advancing the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity and related metabolic diseases through integrated biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and community-engaged research.

Center Director: Elisabet Borsheim, Ph.D.

Center for Translational Pediatric Research

The Center for Translational Pediatric Research (CTPR) uses a systems biology and mechanistic approach to investigate how pediatric diseases develop, with the goal of identifying targets for therapeutic intervention and developing new treatments. The long-term goal of the CTPR is to build an innovative, multi-disciplinary research center at ACRI that utilizes cutting-edge systems biology platforms to study pediatric disease and improve child health.

Center Director: Alan Tackett, Ph.D.