University of Kentucky researchers have been awarded a prestigious Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant that will significantly bolster diabetes prevention research.
The five-year, $11 million grant from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will fund the UK Diabetes Prevention COBRE (UK-DPC). With this grant, the UK-DPC will strengthen the foundation of diabetes prevention research by expanding and modernizing diabetes-focused infrastructure across campus and throughout the commonwealth.
“Thousands of families are touched by diabetes in Kentucky,” UK President Eli Capilouto said. “But at UK, our researchers are advancing the promise of innovative diabetes research to improve the lives of Kentuckians. They are, as always, turning discovery into hope. This grant strengthens both our research and our resolve to ensure a commonwealth tomorrow that is healthier, wealthier and wiser than it is today.”
Simon Fisher, M.D., Ph.D., and Barbara Nikolajczyk, Ph.D., were awarded the highly competitive grant to build much-needed capacity for diabetes prevention research. The work of the UK-DPC will benefit the nation and Kentucky — where an estimated 38% of adults have prediabetes.
“Kentucky faces a very high burden of diabetes,” said Fisher, director of the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. “Ongoing research, clinical programs and outreach at the University of Kentucky have advanced our understanding and treatment of diabetes. This grant will allow us to expand that work and help build a healthier state now and in the future.”
Nikolajczyk, associate director for translational research at the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, added, “Diabetes affects families in every corner of the state. We are honored that the NIH has chosen to support the expansion of diabetes prevention expertise at UK. This investment strengthens our ability to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes and improve long-term health outcomes for Kentuckians.”
This investment is considered important in Kentucky, where diabetes and prediabetes remain among the state’s most urgent health challenges. By growing research capacity, expanding prevention programs and fostering new scientific talent, the UK-DPC will help reverse long-standing health disparities and improve outcomes for communities across the state.
(Photo: Simon Fisher, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, courtesy of Arden Barnes via Kentucky Today)
Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
