Justin L. Grobe, PhD and D.P. Mohapatra, PhD have been awarded a “Major Project Grant” through the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development. The project, titled “Novel signaling crosstalk between AT2 and NPR-C receptors: a common mechanism for the development of obesity and inflammatory pain,” is focused on understanding a novel molecular interaction between the renin-angiotensin and natriuretic peptide systems. This newly recognized interaction between the systems may contribute to obesity through its actions in adipose tissues, and to chronic inflammatory pain through its actions at nervous tissues, and may help explain the frequent comorbidity of obesity and chronic inflammatory pain.