Chronic diseases—such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer— are responsible for approximately 75% of deaths worldwide. In Latino populations, the risk of developing these diseases is even higher, making it essential to better understand the biological, social, and environmental factors that influence their development. It was in this context that the OriGen Health Research Center (OHRC) was established a year ago, a joint initiative between Tecnológico de Monterrey and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin).

The OHRC is committed to translational research that bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and its application in public health. By integrating disciplines such as genetics, artificial intelligence, biomarkers, obesity, and human development, the center aims to build a more comprehensive understanding of these diseases.

Its goal is to generate customized solutions that allow for better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illnesses affecting millions of people in the Americas.

To date, the center has launched three major projects to advance knowledge of these diseases on the continent. These are still in the development phase, but are expected to yield results throughout this and next year.

Genes, Fat and Health: Understanding Visceral Adiposity in Mexicans

The first project has as its central question why some people accumulate fat in the abdomen while others, for example, do so in the legs and arms.

Where fat is stored is crucial for health and, in many cases, more important than a person’s total weight or Body Mass Index (BMI). Furthermore, not all fat behaves the same way: subcutaneous fat—which is under the skin—acts as an energy reserve, while visceral fat —which accumulates around the organs—has been associated with negative effects on metabolic health.

“An open question was: what genes influence why someone stores fat in one part of the body versus another?,” says Vagheesh Narasimhan, a researcher at UT Austin and one of the project leaders.

To understand which genes are associated with fat storage, the team will use an advanced artificial intelligence model capable of analyzing large-scale body composition, genetic, and clinical records data to accurately estimate body fat distribution.

The algorithm was originally trained using data from the UK Biobank and will be adapted to the Latin American population using genetic, clinical and body composition data collected by the oriGen project.

This will enable the generation of accessible tools to assess risks in communities associated with the accumulation of visceral fat and to identify key genes that, in the future, could become therapeutic targets for developing drugs like Ozempic, specifically targeting visceral fat.

“Understanding the genetic basis of body fat storage might allow us to target those genes and focus not just on overall BMI but —perhaps excitingly— on body fat that is bad for you,” says Narasimhan.

Small Changes, Big Impacts: a New Strategy Against Adolescent Obesity

Another project focuses on adolescent obesity, a growing challenge that is especially complex in Latino communities where biological, social, and cultural factors intertwine.

Beyond diet, family dynamics, social stigma, and limited access to appropriate treatment all play a role. In response to this situation, the OHRC’s “Small Changes in Adolescence Towards a Healthier Weight” project proposes a new approach to intervention.

The project is based on the premise that obesity is not a matter of willpower, but a complex biological condition that requires personalized treatments.

The team will develop a digital platform that allows teenagers to design meal plans adapted to their daily lives and what they like to eat, without needing to count calories or follow rigid diets.

“Let’s say they choose enchiladas as one of their dinner options, the program will tell them exactly the recipe they need to follow to create a meal that fits their plan,” explains Leah Whigham, a researcher at UT Austin and one of the project leaders.

Thus, the platform will use data such as biological sex, age, height, and nationality to calculate how many calories each teenager burns and design a meal plan that puts them in a calorie deficit and helps them reach a healthy weight.

The program will go beyond nutrition and integrate modules on mental health and family communication, recognizing that support at home is essential to achieving sustainable changes.

“It can help them address what’s happening in their body in a positive, healthy way and also understand how to be prepared to face others outside the family who may be stigmatizing,” says Whingham.

Because it is scalable and low-cost, this intervention has the potential to reach thousands of young people, transforming the prevention and treatment of obesity in Latin America.

From Stress to Health: Understanding the Relationship Between Life History and Metabolism

The third project seeks to understand how stress influences metabolic health throughout the lives of people in Mexico.

Aging and metabolic diseases do not occur in isolation, but are the result of decades of accumulated experiences. To understand this relationship, they have proposed the project “Development of a life history survey to study aging and health in Mexico.”

“In the 80s and 90s, there were a lot of dynamic changes in the Mexican society in terms of economic growth, but also some challenges, so we are thinking about how that’s altered their ability to have social mobility and access to medical care,” says Mateo Farina, a researcher at UT Austin and one of the project leaders.

Through detailed interviews and the collection of biomarkers, the team will analyze how experiences such as inequality, social mobility, or economic changes influence metabolic processes and aging.

Thus, the approach integrates demography, public health, and biology to map health trajectories over time.

“For now, we’re limiting it to 200 people in Mexico City, but the long-term goal would be to write a larger grant and get a couple thousand people across all Mexican states,” Farina says.

In a country where diabetes and obesity have grown rapidly, this perspective could allow for the identification of key moments for intervention.

In the long term, the project could transform the way public policies and prevention strategies are designed, incorporating not only clinical factors but also the social conditions that shape the health of populations.

Did you find this story interesting? Would you like to publish it? Contact our content editor for more information: marianaleonm@tec.mx