The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega 3’s, or GOED, has funded a grant to Purdue University for the founding of the “International Omega 3 Learning and Education Consortium for Health and Medicine.”

The consortium will be directed by Dr. Bruce Watkins and will be responsible to reach out to educators, healthcare professionals, consumers and the media with information on omega 3 fatty acids and how they are beneficial for health.

“We awarded the grant to Purdue because of its stellar reputation in developing educational programs,” Adam Ismail, the executive director of GOED, stated, “and Dr. Watkins is one of the highly respected leaders in omega 3 research.” The Purdue proposal covers the development of a website as well as outreach programs and involves preeminent scientists in nutrition, veterinary medicine and medicine, including the consortium’s co-investigators, Dr. Gert Breur, DVM, DACVS, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University and Dr. Allon Friedman, MD, FASN, Indiana University School of Medicine.

The consortium’s primary immediate goals will be to:

• provide accurate information about omega 3s and omega 3 research for use by the general public, educators, media, the medical and health communities, industry and government agencies
•  develop and disseminate educational materials for omega 3s that will be used by the public, dieticians, nutrition researchers, physicians, teachers, professors and students
• increase the understanding of omega 3’s by providing learning opportunities for veterinarians to improve companion animal nutrition and health