Abbott, an international healthcare company, and the University will establish a multi-disciplinary nutrition and cognition research center on the Urbana campus.

The Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory will be host to directed and solicited research on the effects of nutrition on human learning and memory, according to a press release.

The University’s Institute for Genomic Biology and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology will be used for the center’s research as well as the nutritional sciences and neuroscience program.

“Combining Abbott’s leadership in science-based nutrition with the best-in-class capabilities at Illinois and the world’s best scientific minds in the areas of nutrition, brain and cognition will allow us to advance unique and meaningful breakthroughs in this area of research,” said Robert H. Miller, divisional vice president for research and development for Abbott Nutrition, in the press release.

Neal Cohen, professor of psychology and director of the neuroscience program, will be a director of the new Center.

“Enhancing learning and memory through nutrition could have truly transformative effects on childhood development and resisting the effects of aging and disease,” said Cohen in the press release. “This collaboration builds on more than 20 years of scientific partnership between Abbott and the University.”

Because of Abbott’s five-year investment, the Center will choose research projects to fund annually. The first call for proposals ends Jan. 6. Funding will be determined by a joint committee from the University and Abbott.

Additional information about the program is available at www.cnlm.illinois.edu.