ABOUT THE LAB
Our lab works in the area of endocrinology and metabolic disease with a focus on type 1 diabetes.
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus, more commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders defined by abnormally high blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes is the form of the disease caused by a tissue-specific autoimmune disorder. The immune system mistakenly kills off insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, leading to chronic insulin deficiency. This form of the disease differs significantly from the more common type 2 diabetes, where beta cells become overworked, exhausted and eventually fail due to insulin resistance and metabolic stress.
Why Type 1 Diabetes?
Insulin administration is required for people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and has been used for now over 100 years, but this does not cure the disease. Thus T1D remains an underappreciated global health concern. As of 2022, there are an estimated 1.5 million people living with the disease in the U.S. alone. By 2050 the International Diabetes Federation estimates this will increase to about 5 million. We still do not understand the fundamental mechanisms of how this disease develops or how to prevent or cure it. The disease is most often diagnosed in children and young adults, but can affect people at any age and unlike type 2 diabetes, cannot be managed or prevented by diet or exercise. T1D is often diagnosed after a life-threatening acute complication known as 'diabetic ketoacidosis' and can also pose longer-term health complications in including increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As such, T1D remains a major largely unmet, chronic health issue.
Our mission.
We strive to discover fundamental biological and pathological mechanisms operating in pancreatic beta cells and immune cells and translate this knowledge into approaches that will eventually solve T1D by preventing the progression to clinical diagnosis. We also seek to advance approaches to improve the function of the remaining beta cells in people living with T1D. We believe the lessons we learn from T1D will also support advancement of new therapies for type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
