News & Research

The American Diabetes Association funds Basic and Clinical/Translational Research Awards aimed at preventing and curing diabetes, as well as research aimed at helping people with diabetes live longer, healthier lives. We support highly innovative pilot projects that may have minimal preliminary data, but are judged to have significant potential to better arm our fight against diabetes. We also support Postdoctoral Fellowship training with the Mentor Awards and Career Development Awards for young investigators in order to ensure quality investigators continue to dedicate their careers to diabetes research.

Whether it’s training, career development or research awards, the Association’s Research Program is devoted to improving the lives of all people with diabetes. The projects we support cover the spectrum of diabetes research from islet cell biology and transplantation techniques to studies in patient care delivery, education and behavioral issues. Some projects are of unique importance to people with type 1 diabetes, and some are devoted to type 2 diabetes, but the clear majority is aimed at providing scientific answers that will benefit everyone affected by diabetes.

Below are the currently funded research projects in the New York City Markets:

Dr. Yuling Chi, PhD (Albert Einstein Colllege of Medicine Bronx, New York)
General Research Subject: Both Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Clinical Therapeutics/New Technology\Pharmacologic Treatment of Diabetes or its Complications, Complications\Macrovascular-Cellular Mechanisms of Atherogenesis in Diabetes

Dr. Dianna Willis, PhD (Burke-Cornell Medical Research Insitute White Plains, New York)
General Research Subject: Type 1 Diabetes
Focus: Complications\Neuropathy

Dr. Sundar Natarajan, MD (VA New York Harbor Health Care System New York, NY)
General Research Subject: Both Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Psychosocial Behavioral Medicine

Dr. Blandine Lafarre, MD (St Luke's Roosevelt Institute for Health Sciences New York, New York)
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Integrated Physiology\GLP-1, GIP, and Other Gut Hormones, Obesity\Clinical Treatment, Insulin Synthesis/Secretion/Resistance

Dr. Charles Mobbs (Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York, New York)
General Research Subject: Obesity
Focus: Integrated Physiology\Regulation of Food Intake, Integrated Physiology\Regulation of Glucose Kinetics, Obesity\Animal Models

Dr. Louis Ragolia, PhD (Winthrop University Hospital Mineloa, New York)
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Complications\Macrovascular-Cellular Mechanisms of Atherogenesis in Diabetes, Insulin Action\Insulin Resistance, Insulin Action\Signal Transduction

Dr. Derek LeRoith, MD, PhD (Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York, New York)
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Diabetic Dyslipidemia

Dr. Preeti Kishore, MD (Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, New York)
Effects of vitamin D on insulin resistance and systemic inflammation
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Adipocytes, Clinical Therapeutics/New Technology\Treatment of Insulin Resistance, Insulin Action\Insulin Resistance

Jeffrey E. Pessin, PhD (Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, New York)
Insulin signaling and metabolic regulation
General Research Subject: Both Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Adipocytes, Insulin Action\Insulin Resistance, Islet Biology\Hormone Secretion and Exocytosis

Lori Michelle Zelster (Columbia University Medical Center New York, New York)
Model of maternal obesity to study effects on developing hypothalamic circuits that promote obesity in progeny and re-programming these adverse outcomes in young mice
General Research Subject: Gestational Diabetes
Focus: Obesity\Animal Models, Other, Pediatrics\Obesity

Ling Qi, PhD (Cornell University Ithaca, New York)
Regulation of systemic insulin sensitivity by adipocyte XBP1s
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Adipocytes, Insulin Action\Transgenic Models, Integrated Physiology\Insulin Resistance

Jill Crandall, MD (Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, New York)
Pilot study of resveratrol in older adults with impaired glucose tolerance
General Research Subject: Insulin Resistance Pre Diabetes
Focus: Clinical Therapeutics/New Technology\Treatment of Insulin Resistance, Complications\ Macrovascular-Atherosclerotic CVD and Human Diabetes

Megan Sykes (Columbia University New York, NY)
Cell-intrinsic immunopathology of type 1 diabetes in a humanized mouse model
General Research Subject: Type 1 Diabetes
Focus: Genetics\Type 1 Diabetes, Immunology, Transplantation

Lori Sussel (Columbia University New York, New York)
Regulation of adult beta cell function
General Research Subject: Both Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Islet Biology\Beta Cell Growth and Differentiation, Islet Biology\Beta Cell Transcription Regulation, Islet Biology\Metabolic Regulation

Timothy McGraw, PhD (Weill Medical College of Cornell University New York)
Insulin-regulation of GLUT4 trafficking
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Insulin Action\Glucose Transport