Empowering Families with Culinary Medicine for Kids’ Kidney Health
Official title: Empowering Families: Culinary Medicine for Managing Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11453123 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A family-friendly program would teach practical, tasty cooking skills to help children with CKD follow a renal-friendly diet.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 14, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $420,576 |
| NIH project number | 1R21NR022138-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11453123 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 0-11 with CKD stages 4-5 and their caregivers who participate in the CKD education program at the partnering clinic.
✕Less likely to help
Families without access to the CKD clinic or who do not implement the culinary recommendations may see limited or no benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with pediatric nephrology teams and families to create a hands-on culinary Medicine approach tailored for children with CKD stages 4-5 and their caregivers. It will start with surveys and interviews to identify real-life barriers to cooking and eating the right foods, then develop and pilot simple recipes and meal plans that fit into busy families’ routines. The goal is to make evidence-based nutrition easier to follow, improve metabolic control, and reduce cardiovascular risk for these children. The study will take place at Texas Children’s Hospital with input from clinicians and dietitians to ensure the program fits into existing CKD education services.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could more easily prepare kidney-friendly meals, potentially slowing CKD progression and improving quality of life for affected children.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier nutrition-focused CKD programs show promise, but this is a novel culinary medicine adaptation for pediatric CKD.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Onugha, Elizabeth Anyaegbu — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Onugha, Elizabeth Anyaegbu
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.