University surgeons also developed the world's leading gastric bypass surgical technology, the "Greenville" bypass.
The work resulted in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizing East Carolina University as one of six national centers to work together to develop a deeper understanding of obesity and standards for its surgical treatment.
The University received $1.3 million from the NIH to fund its part of the investigation into one of America's critical health problems. Multi-disciplinary teams are now delivering information on a variety of metabolic disorders.