NOURISH: Clinically Delivered Food Bank Support for Cancer Patients
Official title: Addressing Malnutrition in Transplant and Cellular Therapy Patients with Healthcare-Food Bank Partnerships
Funded at University of Kansas Medical Center · NIH-11380951 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A program partners cancer centers with local food banks to deliver medically tailored food bags to patients in the clinic to support nutrition and health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $740,543 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NR021468-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380951 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with hematologic cancers who are receiving transplant or cellular therapy and experience inconsistent access to food.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without food access issues or those not receiving transplant/cellular therapy may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a new way to help cancer patients who struggle with food access by combining clinic-based delivery with food bank resources. Teams including doctors, dietitians, social workers, and food bank staff will tailor meals to each patient and hand them out during clinic visits. A multicenter randomized trial will compare NOURISH with usual care to see if it improves nutrition, symptoms, and healthcare use for patients undergoing transplant or cellular therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, NOURISH could reduce malnutrition-related complications and lower healthcare costs by making nutritious foods easier to obtain during cancer treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous approaches show that nutrition support can influence outcomes, but this specific clinic-based food-bank model is novel and being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sung, Anthony — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Sung, Anthony
Related research
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Cancer center–food bank partnership providing medically tailored food bags to transplant and cell therapy patients
This project links cancer centers with food banks to give medically tailored food bags during clinic visits to transplant and cellular therapy patients who struggle with food access.
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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.