University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Institute

Research

Diabetes Institute researchers are affiliated with UPMC, one of the nation’s most prestigious academic medical centers, and the University of Pittsburgh. Thirty different departments conduct diabetes-related research. Their efforts have been recognized by the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Some current research projects examine:

• cell therapies, including stem cell and pancreatic islet cell transplantation
• gene therapy and the genetic causes of diabetes
• the effect of exercise on insulin sensitivity
• obesity and insulin resistance
• causes of and treatments for obesity
• diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy
• coronary and kidney disease in diabetes
• diabetes in pregnancy
• diabetes epidemiology, including outcomes and interventions
• behavioral aspects of diabetes