Linus Pauling Institute

Balz Frei, Director
571 Weniger Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331
(541) 737-5075
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu

 

The mission of the Linus Pauling Institute is to determine the function and role of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and others) in promoting optimum health and preventing and treating disease; to determine the role of oxidative and nitrative stress and antioxidants in human health and disease; and to advance knowledge in areas that were of interest to Linus Pauling through research and educational activities.

Major areas of research in the Institute encompass heart disease, cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. Specific laboratories address antioxidants and vascular biology; vitamin E metabolism and biological activity; colon cancer and cancer chemoprevention by phytochemicals; the role of nitric oxide and oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease); and the role of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the aging process.

LPI supports a seminar series, public lectures, and a pilot project research program, and organizes a biennial conference. The Institute also engages in sponsorship of scientific conferences and community outreach programs, including publication of a semiannual Research Report and the Micronutrient Information Center, which is an online resource for up-to-date, scientifically accurate information regarding the roles of specific vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and other nutrients in preventing disease and promoting health. Institute faculty is also engaged in undergraduate and graduate education.

The Linus Pauling Institute was established at Oregon State University in August 1996 under an agreement reached between OSU and its antecedent organization, the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine (located in California from 1973 to 1996). The Institute functions from the basic premise that an optimum diet is the key to optimum health.