The founding director of the Obesity Research Institute and executive director for One Health Innovation becomes the 13th Texas Tech faculty member to be named a Fellow.
Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa, the inaugural executive director for the Institute for One Health Innovation (IOHI) at Texas Tech University and the founding director of the Obesity Research Institute (ORI), has been named to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) 2024 class of Fellows, the NAI announced today (Dec. 10).
The 2024 class will be honored at the NAI’s 14th annual meeting in June in Atlanta, Georgia.
Moustaïd-Moussa, a Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, housed within the College of Health & Human Sciences, and professor of cell biology and biochemistry at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), becomes the 13th faculty member from Texas Tech to earn the prestigious honor. Texas Tech has had at least one faculty member named an NAI Fellow in each of the past nine years.
“I am very humbled and very honored to be named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors,” Moustaïd-Moussa said. “I would like to first thank all my lab students and postdocs, both at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and here at Texas Tech and TTUHSC, and many collaborators at these institutions and elsewhere in the U.S. and internationally, who have contributed to innovating and enriching our research program. I deeply appreciate all those who supported and assisted with my nomination and Texas Tech’s support for our research.”
Since arriving at Texas Tech in 2012, Moustaïd-Moussa has distinguished herself as one of the leading researchers into obesity, and in 2013 founded the Obesity Research Cluster, which later became the ORI in 2019.
“Our research focuses on the fundamental understanding of adipose tissue expansion and inflammation and its impact on chronic metabolic diseases,” Moustaïd-Moussa said. “We further map mechanisms that underlie protective anti-inflammatory mechanisms of relevant dietary and/or pharmacological interventions, which can be translated into public health impact, specifically human nutrition and health promotion.”
This July she was appointed as the inaugural executive director for the IOHI, a joint appointment between Texas Tech and TTUHSC designed to facilitate collaborations between the institutions and other members of the Texas Tech University System.
In addition, she served as an associate vice president in the Office of Research & Innovation with a proven track record for creating interdisciplinary collaborations and assisting with Texas Tech’s strategic initiatives, including Advancing One Health. She holds five separate U.S. patents, has appeared in almost 200 peer-reviewed publications and serves as vice president for the American Society for Nutrition, where she will serve as president beginning in June 2025.
“Dr. Moustaïd-Moussa is a pioneer in her field, and Texas Tech is proud to see NAI recognize her accomplishments,” said Joseph Heppert, vice president for Research & Innovation. “Her outstanding leadership and innovative spirit have been instrumental in growing health-related research and collaboration at Texas Tech and across the system. Her contributions to teaching and metabolic health research are immeasurable.”
Composed of 170 researchers representing 135 research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions from around the world, the 2024 class of NAI Fellows holds more than 5,000 U.S. patents on innovations making significant tangible societal and economic impacts.
“This year’s class of NAI Fellows represents a truly impressive caliber of inventors,” said Paul Sanberg, president of the NAI. “Each of these individuals are tackling real-world issues and creating solutions that propel us into the future. Through their work, they are making significant contributions to science, creating lasting societal impact and growing the economy.”
About the NAI Fellows Program
Since its founding in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include 2,068 exceptional researchers and innovators who hold more than 68,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated over $3.2 trillion in revenue and generated 1.2 million jobs.