The UMass Diabetes Diabetes Center of Excellence once again hosted the Central MA Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes. The signature fundraising event for the American Diabetes Association takes place on the UMass Chan Medical School campus. This year, more than 1000 people participated, including DCOE faculty, staff & families. Entertainment included representatives from the Red Sox, Patriots, New England Revolution, Worcester Bravehearts & Worcester Railers.  PHOTOS 

Sally C. Kent, PhD, and Jenny Aurielle B. Babon, PhD, have isolated and characterized a large bank of live islet-infiltrating T cells directly from the islets of tissue donors with type 1 diabetes. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, have direct implications for the design of therapies and preventative strategies for people with type 1 diabetes and those at risk for developing it. 

The Corvera Lab at UMass Chan Medical School's Diabetes Center of Excellence shed light on the benefits of beige fat. Our body's fat has the ability to generate beige fat, which could potentially be deployed within ourselves to treat diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Sally Kent, PhD, a scientist at the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence, was recognized by the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes with a Pioneer Award for her "continued dedication to create a world free of type 1 diabetes.”  Jenny Aurielle Babon, PhD, a postdoc in the Kent Lab, presented some of their latest research during nPOD's Annual Scientific Meeting.   

Nancy Morris, Adult Nurse Practitioner in the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence, was awarded the Excellence in Nursing Education Award from The American Nursing Association of Massachusetts.  It honors nurse educators for teaching, research and practice, recognizing innovative approaches to facilitate learning and professional development.  

Roger J. Davis, PhD was elected into the National Academy of Sciences.  Membership in the NAS is one of the highest honors bestowed upon a scientist in the United States.  He joins four UMass Chan Medical School colleagues who have received membership in recognition of their for outstanding contributions to original research.  His work to explain the molecular mechanism by which inflammation contributes to diabetes, cancer and stroke has been among the most important in this field for more than two decades.  READ MORE

Many patients do not understand the role and capabilities of a nurse practitioner (NP) when it comes to diabetes care.  NPs are taught both the medical model and the nursing model of care.  The scope of practice of a nurse practitioner varies from state to state. Meet Christine and learn how she provides care to patients at the UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence.   

Thymus development research in the lab of René Maehr, PhD was featured as the cover story in Immunity.  Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to illustrate a framework for biological discovery and molecular analysis of thymus organogenesis (the production and development of the organ).  READ MORE 

Diabetes education has been shown to lower A1c by as much as 1%, which is similar to adding a medication but without side effects. Research has shown people who received diabetes education are more likely to utilize primary care and preventative services, take medications as prescribed and control their blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. As a result, those people have lower health costs.  The UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence offers an extensive education program covering a variety of topics. Both one-on-one sessions and group workshops are available.  

Silvia Corvera, MD, and Michael Czech, PhD, are investigating whether technologies developed in their labs will harness beige fat’s ability to burn energy and accelerate metabolism in order to improve the body’s response to sugar and lower blood glucose levels.   

The First Annual Joe “Nuzzy” Memorial Golf Tournament raised $10,500, which was generously donated to the UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence (DCOE), to be used for continued patient care.  The family wants the money to help others being treated for diabetes at UMass Memorial.  They recently toured our research laboratories, and were impressed with what they saw.   
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The laboratory of Silvia Corvera, MD, was featured on WCVB-TV/ABC in Boston and WJAR-TV/NBC of Providence about their research in which they are transforming white fat into beige fat, to harness its ability to burn energy, accelerate metabolism and fight disease.  VIDEO 

Apoptosis of CD8 T cells is an essential mechanism that maintains immune system homeostasis, prevents autoimmunity, and reduces immunopathology.  Research from the Brehm and Davis laboratories at the UMass  Diabetes Center of Excellence, was published in The Journal of Immunology.  

Studying the islets of people with type 1 diabetes, the laboratories of David Harlan, MD and Sally Kent, PhD definitively put to rest a three decades old debate about whether beta cells express important immune genes called “human leukocyte antigen class II” (HLA Class II).

The second annual Herman G. Berkman Diabetes Clinical Innovation Fund grant was awarded to Leslie J. Domalik, MD and co-investigator Asem Ali, MD.  Read about their project, intended to improve blood glucose control for all patients admitted to UMass Memorial hospitals who are living with diabetes. 

Dr. Corvera’s lab determined that there are more types of fat cells in the human body than originally thought. They play different roles in how they affect metabolism.  They're now investigating human cell therapy, which consists of using the body’s own cells to increase metabolism, as a possible treatment for type 2 diabetes or its complications.  

UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence education workshops use Conversation Maps® to teach a variety of diabetes topics to help people make lifestyle changes as part of their self-management.   

Dr. David Harlan welcomed his longtime friend and fellow distinguished physician/scientist, Carl H. June, MD, to speak at the UMass Chan Medical School Department of Medicine Grand Rounds. They worked closely throughout the 1990s when they led the U.S. Navy’s “Immune Cell Biology Program." Dr. June is the director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and is best known for his pioneering work developing CAR T-cell therapy for leukemia treatment. VIDEO

Sally C. Kent, PhD, was named the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation Term Chair in Diabetes. Dr. Kent studies autoimmune response in type 1 diabetes. Her lab is credited with uncovering new information on how autoreactive T cells target beta cells in islets, a breakthrough that will contribute to the design of therapies for people with type 1 diabetes.  

David Harlan, MD, interviewed Nobel Prize laureate Wally Gilbert, PhD, 40 years after the first human insulin for diabetes treatment was genetically engineered, thanks in part to his pioneering work in DNA sequencing. Dr. Gilbert is now an accomplished artist and after the interview they toured his impressive art studio in Boston. VIDEO

Type 2 diabetes research in the laboratory of Michael Czech, PhD, includes studying the behavior and function of the various cells that make up adipose tissue, with a goal of improving systemic metabolism in obesity.  They contributed some of their lab's RNAi technology to a study published in The Journal of Immunology.  

A new technique to study human cells and tissues was recently developed at the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence. It’s another step forward in the continued effort to examine the insulin producing beta cells of humans living with type 1 diabetes and to learn more about the autoimmune attack associated with the disease. The new method allows our scientists to recover and further examine sufficient amounts of living human cells that they previously transplanted into our novel human immune models.   

The Maehr Lab is developing human thymus glands using stem cells from the blood of volunteer participants. They'll be inserted into our humanized immune systems, along with insulin producing beta cells and immune cells created from the stem cells of those same blood donors. This will allow our scientists to study the interaction between an individual’s own cells, to investigate how and why the autoimmune attack is taking place. Once it’s determined what’s causing type 1 diabetes, we can then begin to test therapies within our humanized immune models.  

A study by Camila Martinez Calejman, PhD, published in the journal Nature Communications revealed an unexpected link between mTOR signaling and the synthesis of Acetyl-CoA, a molecule with critical roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and the epigenetic control of gene expression.  It describes the importance of this link in brown adipose tissue, but the implications may extend to understanding other aspects of type 2 diabetes and cancer.   

The UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence established The Glass Family Fellowship in Diabetes Research, through a gift from Scott and Patricia Glass. It was awarded to Richard A. Siller, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Maehr Lab. He's eager to collaborate with his fellow lab members to work toward creating a fully functional human thymus over the the next two years at the UMass Chan Medical School.   

A new study in the Davis Lab on causes of metabolic syndrome was published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences. Data obtained from this research provides insight into some type 2 diabetes risk factors including high blood glucose and obesity.  

A program was developed to track UMass Memorial Health patients at risk for negative outcomes due to gaps in care by identifying their difficulties and guiding them toward available services and resources to control their diabetes. The goal is to prevent or reduce the risk of complications, lower healthcare costs, and improve quality of life by encouraging self-care diabetes management. 

Type 2 diabetes metabolism research in the Guertin Lab examined time dependent changes in the mTORC2 signaling pathway in mature brown adipocytes.

The Food and Drug Administration agreed to allow continuous glucose monitors to be used in hospitals during the pandemic to help health care workers monitor diabetes patients while reducing their own exposure to the coronavirus. UMass Memorial began using them to monitor the blood sugar of UMass Memorial's patients with diabetes. In recent years, the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence has revolutionized blood glucose management for all people living with diabetes who are admitted to Worcester’s UMass Memorial hospitals.  

Type 2 diabetes research in the laboratory of Michael Czech, PhD, is investigating the behavior and function of various fat cells, with the goal of improving metabolism for a potential obesity therapy. The Czech lab study was published in Cell Reports.  

UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence co-director David Harlan, MD, participated in newly published research that further characterized pancreases from adult donors with type 1 diabetes compared with similarly aged donors without diabetes. The study found the pancreases from those with both longstanding and recent-onset T1D to be approximately 45% smaller than pancreases from donors without diabetes.  

Virtual telemedicine has been considered by many over the years to be well-suited for diabetes care. A recent study shows better A1c reduction in people who received telehealth care compared with typical in-person appointments. UMass Memorial patients who have received remote diabetes care during the coronavirus pandemic have been overwhelmingly positive about the process. Another published study claims people with type 1 diabetes have combined telehealth and technology with proper blood glucose management and monitoring to achieve better outcomes during the pandemic, as patients avoid in-person visits.

Enteroviruses encompass a group of viruses that give rise to infectious illnesses which are usually mild. However, if enteroviruses such as coxsackievirus infect the central nervous system or heart, they can cause serious illness. Enteroviral infections are also associated with T1D, but how they contribute to this disease is not well understood. Jennifer Wang's lab is using stem cell-derived beta cells to study virus-driven immunology and beta cell dysfunction, with the ultimate goal of new treatments. 

Scientists at the UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence continue to gain new knowledge of type 1 diabetes by studying human tissues and human cells, to recreate the disease in our unique humanized animal models.  Newly published research describes our collaboration with the Melton Lab at The Harvard Stem Cell Institute.  Scientists were recently able to model type 1 diabetes autoimmunity using patient’s blood and stem cell derived beta cells.  

Type 2 diabetes research in the laboratory of Dr. Jason Kim at the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence, in a collaborative project led by Dr. Anath Shalev at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and her research team who had discovered a small molecule SRI-37330, have unveiled an exciting new process by which this compound effectively rescues mice from obesity-induced diabetes.  Compared to currently available therapies it could provide an effective new approach to treating type 2 diabetes.  LEARN MORE

The location of body fat varies in people and too much fat in the belly area is a risk factor for diabetes. The purpose of this research is to characterize how fat cells from the abdomen and buttock regions are different and to study how these cells are different in people with type 2 diabetes.  

Nobel Laureate Craig Mello presented the annual Mello Scholars awards at a socially distanced ceremony at UMass Chan Medical School. The event recognizes graduate students in the Program in Molecular Medicine with outstanding track records and bright futures. The award comes with one year of funding. One of this year’s recipients is a member of the Czech Lab at the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence. Learn more about this year's honorees here.

People with extra fat around their belly are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who have fat in the lower body. The Corvera lab is investigating how the development and function of fat cells differ in people with and without diabetes. They're examining human fat from different locations in the body to study cells which become fat cells. Understanding the differences in genes expressed in these cells from abdominal fat or gluteal fat and how they become different types of fat cells will help elucidate how different fat depots form, and if they vary between people with and without type 2 diabetes. It will also help explain why lower body fat is beneficial, and maybe recapitulate these beneficial effects in ways that can improve health.  

Newly published research in the Guertin Lab at the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence knocks out a gene, specifically in a precursor cell population, that gives rise to new fat cells, to understand how to make a healthy fat cell. They're studying a signaling pathway called mTOR Complex 2 (mTORC2). A key regulatory input was discovered that helps to establish not only insulin sensitivity, but the ability of fat tissue to use insulin to take up and store energy as lipids. For the first time, this data establishes mTORC2 as a key regulator of a developing fat cell.  FULL STORY

Scientists in the Czech and Corvera labs at UMass Chan Medical School are using the gene editing tool CRISPR to alter DNA and modify gene function - and developing new methods to modify human fat cells in vitro, then transplanting them as a potential therapy for type 2 diabetes and obesity. 

Research at UMass Chan Medical School showed low levels of a protein commonly seen in screening tests during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with adipose tissue remodeling, glucose resistance and gestational diabetes in pregnant women. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, outlines a new role for pregnancy-associated plasma protein A, known as PAPPA, in gestational diabetes, with translational potential as both a diagnostic tool and therapeutic target.  

Newly published research from the Davis Lab at the UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence explains a discovery that could lead to a potential therapy for type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

Tammy Nguyen, MD, PhD, is analyzing bone marrow to learn why diabetes patients with foot ulcers have a difficult time healing. She received the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society’s 2021 Early Career Faculty Research Grant designed to help new vascular surgical investigators initiate projects that will lead to additional funding. She's comparing immune cells from people with diabetes who have had amputations with nondiabetic patients who have had amputations for other reasons.  

Dr. Harlan kicked off the Stanford Diabetes Research Center Symposium celebrating the 100th anniversary of the purification & use of insulin as a life-saving diabetes treatment. His thorough retrospective describes important roles played by various scientists, including Nobel laureates. Four major themes in his presentation are: good ideas vs. brilliance; the roles that serendipity and persistence played; and unforeseen consequences of these incredible research accomplishments. VIEW VIDEO  

Dr. Bandyopadhyay was a postdoc in the Brehm lab who investigated how and why the autoimmune attack occurs in people with type 1 diabetes. The Brehm lab is transplanting human cells that were derived from blood and stem cells, into their unique "humanized" mouse models. They conduct experiments to observe interactions between insulin-producing beta cells and immune cells from the same T1D patients.  

Newly published data of a randomized crossover trial evaluated a remote monitoring program for people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes within the UMass Memorial Health system. Patients were provided with coaching from diabetes educators who monitored readings of patients’ blood glucose each time they tested and contacted them if their blood glucose was dangerously high or low.

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin in 1921, the scientific journal Cell Metabolism shared stories of scientists and clinicians whose research has advanced our understanding of insulin, islet biology, insulin resistance and diabetes. Two UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence researchers reflected on the privilege of studying insulin. 

Dr. Davis was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.  His research on stress signaling pathways are connected to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.  His work has led to the discovery of new genes that contribute to the development of these devastating diseases.  His impressive resume includes investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, member of the National Academy of Inventors and the National Academy of Sciences. The Davis Lab is investigating the molecular mechanism by which inflammation contributes to diabetes and working on the design of novel therapeutic strategies.  

United States Air Force Major General Sean Collins recently surpassed 30 years of military service and looks forward to retiring and returning to his role as a nurse practitioner at the UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence and assistant professor of nursing at the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School. Meanwhile, he is serving multiple leadership roles at the Pentagon. Learn about his decorated military career and recent promotions. 

Sally Kent, PhD, conducts extensive research at UMass Chan Medical School to understand how and why immune cells in people with type 1 diabetes attack their own beta cells.  A newly published article in the scientific journal Frontiers in Immunology specifically investigates the role of T cells at the “scene of the crime,” where the autoimmune attack occurs.  Dr. Kent collaborated with eight other scientists from the United States, Germany, France, and Sweden to co-author “Means, Motive, and Opportunity: Do Non-Islet-Reactive Infiltrating T Cells Contribute to Autoimmunity in Type 1 Diabetes?”   
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Approximately a third of all people with diabetes develop diabetic foot ulcers.  While current treatment is effective for some patients, about half of diabetic foot ulcers become nonhealing and result in amputation.  A team of scientists at the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence believe that can be avoided. 

Carey Zammitti is a Research Associate in the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence laboratory of Michael Brehm, PhD.  Some of the projects she’s been involved with include testing pancreatic islets in the Brehm Lab’s unique “humanized” mouse models of type 1 diabetes to study their potential for transplantation as a possible therapeutic treatment.  She has also tested the functionality of microscopic encapsulation devices to protect insulin-producing beta cells and islets from being recognized and attacked by immune cells.  MEET CAREY

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), commonly known as brown fat, is a type of body fat that is activated in cold conditions.  Its main function is to turn the energy from fat storage and food into heat that helps maintain body temperature in the cold.  In a new study published in Cell Reports, the Guertin Lab learned that BAT uses glucose not only for fuel, but for many other metabolic pathways that support thermogenesis.  This discovery was possible through adapting a new technique and strategy to track how brown fat uses the individual atoms of glucose as they are consumed by the brown fat tissue.
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The 2021 Mello Scholar awards were presented to four graduate students at UMass Chan Medical School, including two who are conducting type 2 diabetes research.  The award is presented annually by its namesake, Nobel Laureate Craig Mello, PhD.  Kate Korobkina is a PhD candidate who works in the Guertin Lab. Kate is studying mechanisms of nutrient sensing in cells and tissues focusing in mTORC2 regulation and thermogenesis pathways.  Chandler Friend is PhD candidate in the Davis Lab where she's conducting metabolism studies.  Chadler is investigating endothelial cells, which form the barrier between tissues and circulating blood.  Learn more about the award and this year's recipients.

Mason Tarpley was named the Cammett Scholar for Type 1 Diabetes Research at UMass Chan Medical School’s Diabetes Center of Excellence. His role as a bioinformatician is to analyze the immense amount of data generated in the laboratories of David Harlan, MD, Sally Kent, PhD, and Jennifer Wang, MD. 
Meet Mason and learn about his work

A collaborative research team including UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence co-director Dale Greiner, PhD, developed and tested an enhanced microencapsulation device intended to protect transplanted human islets into people with Type 1 diabetes.  This newly published study showed proof-of-concept by providing a glucose-sensing, insulin-secreting encapsulation device that holds more cells and demonstrated greater cell survival than previous MEDs.  It also provided enhanced nutrient transport that ultimately led to a rapid reduction of hyperglycemia.  

Newly published research conducted in the laboratory of Jennifer Wang, MD, investigated the relationship between viral infections and type 1 diabetes (T1D). A significant number of viruses have been associated with T1D, including enteroviruses, such as Coxsackievirus.  The Wang Lab conducts extensive research using a unique rat model of T1D to study viruses as a possible trigger of the disease. The study defined how deleting components of the innate immune antiviral response alters immune cells to protect against autoimmunity.

Dr. Guilherme is an Associate Professor in the laboratory of Michael Czech, PhD at UMass Chan Medical School.  One of his career highlights thus far was his involvement in the development of small interfering RNA (siRNA) screens as a therapeutic tool to address cellular and molecular mechanisms of inflammation, obesity and diabetes. Another was the Czech Lab's discovery of a molecular motor they found to be essential for insulin stimulation of glucose transport into fat cells.  He's excited for future research to determine what additional hormones adipocytes are secreting, then studying those to determine if mutating or deleting them may offer therapeutic potential for people struggling with obesity, diabetes or cardiovascular disease.  Learn more about Adilson and his research.

The Czech Lab is targeting genes that promote fatty liver and inflammation in obesity and diabetes with short-interfering RNA (siRNA)-induced RNAi as a potential therapy for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).  It's a severe liver disorder characterized by accumulating triglycerides and severe inflammation.  In a newly published study in the scientific journal Molecular Therapy, Batuhan Yenilmez, PhD, led preclinical studies using “humanized mice” from the Brehm Lab. The humanized model was used to show that their compound can successfully target human mRNA in vivo.  

In an article featured in Worcester Medicine, UMass DCOE Nurse Practitioner Nancy Sidhom describes the benefits of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and how the constantly improving technology is helping people living with diabetes like never before. From a nursing perspective, education is the center point of every patient encounter. CGM use has led many patients to reduce insulin use, revamp dietary choices, create exercise habits and effectively instill long-sought behavior change. Historically, CGM therapy was reserved for patients with Type 1 diabetes. Fortunately, CGM therapy is now widely covered for patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. 

Animal models of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) have provided valuable insights for decades, however rodent experiments have not provided an understanding of the root cause of how the disease develops in humans. The research team at the UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence continues to gain new knowledge of the disease by recreating human immune systems inside of unique “humanized” mice to investigate human cells and tissues. A newly published manuscript in Molecular Metabolism emphasizes the concept that T1D pathogenesis is far more heterogeneous than has previously been widely appreciated by the broad diabetes research community.  

A recently published gene analysis study from the laboratory of Yong-Xu Wang, PhD, uncovered a physiological brake to protect the thermogenesis process in adipose tissue, providing new insights into mechanisms that sustain whole-body energy balance and tissue stability.  Their research is investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms to convert white adipocytes into brown-like adipocytes, as a potential Type 2 diabetes therapy.   

The Maehr laboratory is focused on the thymus, the major organ involved in educating the immune system.  They're using human pluripotent stem cells to develop functional thymic epithelial cells that will be used to study the role the organ plays in the Type 1 diabetes autoimmune attack. A newly published study in Nature Communications examined changes in gene expression & cellular behaviors that occur during the development of several organ domains including the thymus.  

Cell therapies have successfully treated patients in oncology and other fields of medicine, and scientists at UMass Chan Medical School are investigating potential clinical applications for type 2 diabetes and obesity.  Research in the laboratories of Michael Czech, PhD and Silvia Corvera, MD, are explore a cell therapy approach by engineering the genome of human adipocyte promoters to expand their use in metabolic diseases such as diabetes and beyond. Researcher Spotlight: Meet Emmanouela Tsagkaraki, MD, PhD and learn about her research 

The Diabetes Center of Excellence received a UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science pilot grant for a collaborative Type 1 diabetes project with Worcester Polytechnic Institute. A novel tool has been created to improve the removal of individual pancreatic islets from human pancreas slices. Improving the tool will allow our scientists to extract single islets from living pancreas slices for more in-depth investigation of the insulin producing beta cells and immune cells, to better understand the autoimmune attack that occurs in people with Type 1 diabetes.  LEARN MORE

New insulin pumps, infusion devices, continuous glucose monitors, glucagon delivery devices and new smartphone apps continue to become available to help with diabetes management. Learn about the latest technology and tools providing improved self-care options for people living with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.   

New legislation has been introduced to the United States Senate including a $35 per month insulin co-pay cap for people with Medicare, employer-sponsored coverage, or insurance purchased on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The Affordable Insulin Now Act also requires commercial insurers to exclude insulin from the deductible. Read reactions to the bill from Dr. Samir Malkani, Clinical Chief of the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence and Cheryl Barry, RN, Manager of Diabetes Education.  

Two third year medical students at UMass Chan worked with the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence to launch an elective course called Management and Care of Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. 

Proteomics and metabolomics are advancing the understanding of insulin signaling focusing on fat cells (white and brown adipocytes).  The Guertin Lab describes how integrating the two ‘omics techniques is critical to clarifying adipocyte insulin action in Type 2 diabetes.  Their article raises questions for future investigation with important implications for understanding and treating insulin resistance, obesity and metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.  

The Czech Lab is using genetic engineering to investigate a therapeutic approach to Type 2 diabetes.  Senior scientist Sarah Nicoloro's research involves the modification of genes of adipocytes to increase fat burning and improve their metabolic function as a potential therapy.  When she joined the lab in 1998, their focus was to learn about the interactions taking place within adipocytes, particularly insulin signaling and GLUT4 trafficking. She was part of a team of scientists who developed a novel small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery system. Learn more about Sarah and her research.

Endocrinologist Mark O'Connor, MD, led the largest genome-wide meta-analysis study ever done using a recessive model for Type 2 diabetes.  It identified 51 loci associated with diabetes, including five that were undetected by past additive analyses.  The results were published in the journal Diabetes demonstrating that recessive models can identify new genetic risk factors for T2D, including variants with large effect sizes.  

Despite attending an American Diabetes Association-recognized education program at the UMass Memorial Health Diabetes Center of Excellence (DCOE), some people still struggle to keep their blood glucose within a healthy range. The DCOE piloted a Care Coach Program in collaboration with Shields Health Care Group to provide supplemental support to help them manage blood glucose levels. Participants have successfully lowered their A1c and demonstrated a reduction in the distress caused by their diabetes by implementing behavioral, lifestyle, and medication changes, thanks to more frequent contact with a diabetes expert to administer the care plan developed by their endocrinologist and/or nurse practitioner.  

Tammy Nguyen, MD, PhD is a vascular surgeon-scientist who is interested in understanding why people living with diabetes have trouble getting foot wounds to heal. This career development grant will provide $150,000 over the next three years for her project “Exploring How the Diabetic Immune System Contributes to Non-Healing Ulcers.” Dr. Nguyen is studying the effect of type 2 diabetes (T2D) on the development of the immune system to design targeted therapies to combat poor wound healing for people with T2D. She developed a novel method to collect and expand human stem cells directly from the bone marrow of donors both with and without T2D who underwent lower extremity amputation for non-healing wounds.

Dr. David Harlan has been named the new director of the JDRF Center of Excellence in New England. For nearly 40 years, Dr. Harlan has been conducting research exploring the pathophysiology underlying diabetes. He also brings years of experience as an endocrinologist with expertise in diabetes and metabolism. A renowned basic and clinical investigator, his current research is focused on beta cell biology and the anti-beta cell immune response. The Center is genetically modifying beta cells with the goal of making them invulnerable to the immune system when infused as a therapy into a person with type 1 diabetes.

The first four virtual diabetes camp sessions included more than 1,500 students from 33 countries and 45 U.S. states. They represented 315 colleges around the world participating in free Zoom-based sessions. 

The Jason Kim laboratory welcomes visiting professors from Kosin University College of Medicine in South Korea. Both physician-scientists will be conducting diabetes research at UMass Chan Medical School through 2023.  

A randomized clinical trial provided continuous glucose monitors to people with diabetes who are currently not using one and arrived at Worcester's UMass Memorial Hospital Emergency Room with high or low blood sugar, or other diabetes related complications. The goal was to reduce clinic no-shows and improve glycemic outcomes and patient satisfaction. 

A significant percentage of people living with type 2 diabetes also have too much fat accumulated in their liver that can develop into liver disease. Currently, there is no medication for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). To better understand how a medicine might be developed, the Czech lab studied fat production in the liver from carbohydrates by disrupting an enzyme that helps to convert blood glucose into fat in obese mice.  Another study targeted genes that promote fatty liver and inflammation in obesity and diabetes with short-interfering RNA (siRNA)-induced RNAi.

Vascular surgeon-scientist Tammy Nguyen, MD, PhD, is the recipient of a K08 Clinical Investigator Award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to advance her independent clinical research. Dr. Nguyen wants to understand why people with diabetes have a difficult time with wound healing, particularly foot ulcers. She’s studying the effect of type 2 diabetes on the development of the immune system, with the goal of designing targeted therapies to combat poor wound healing. As the Medical Director of the Lower Extremity Wound Clinic at UMass Memorial Health, she continues to perform surgeries on people with diabetes who developed uncontrolled infections that led to amputations. 

In a newly published study in the FASEB journal, the laboratories of Michael Brehm, PhD and Dale Greiner, PhD describe a novel humanized mouse model developed with improved Natural Killer (NK) cell acceptance and functionality.  Their data explains the potential for this in vivo model to study human NK cell biology and to test new human-specific immune-therapies that target NK cells. 

The study aims to generate CAR T cell variants that would target and eliminate islet specific autoreactive T cells in people with type 1 diabetes. A grant from the NIH/NIDDK with Multi-Principal Investigators was awarded to investigate CAR T-cell technology as a potential T1D therapy. 

Sally Kent, PhD was awarded a Multi-Principal Investigator grant from the NIH/NIDDK entitled Extracellular Vesicle-mediated islet immune cross talk in type 1 diabetes pathogenesis. The project will examine the function of extracellular vesicles originating directly from pancreatic islets in people with  type 1 diabetes. The goal of these studies is to understand their functional role in the autoimmune process and to provide biomarkers for disease development.

Dr. O’Connor was co-recipient of the UMass Memorial Medical Group’s Prize for Academic Collaboration and Excellence (PACE) Award. It supports physicians in cutting-edge research and encourages interdepartmental collaboration. His project is studying the benefits of using widely available wearable devices such as smart watches, to protect people who are living with diabetes, from dangerous hypoglycemia. A pilot study of people with type 1 diabetes who are at risk for hypoglycemia will create an optimized algorithm for detecting hypoglycemia based on smart watch data.

A five-year grant from the NIH/NIAMS was awarded to John Harris, MD, PhD, Founding Director of the Vitiligo Clinic & Research Center, and Autoimmune Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School. The project is entitled Dissecting Functional Autoimmunity through High-Resolution Multiomics in a Vitiligo Center of Research Translation. Dr. Kent is leading Project 1, Autoreactive T Cell Function in Vitiligo.

The Czech lab examined the metabolic regulation of adipocytes by insulin receptor signaling and the cAMP signaling pathway in a review article published in the journal Trends in Cell Biology. The two major signaling networks regulate virtually every organ and/or cell type in the human body.  While the two signaling pathways intercommunicate regularly in fat cells, published data has shown they typically counteract one other in most cellular processes. Their opposite roles are indispensable for adipocyte physiology and metabolic homeostasis. Together they constitute what the Czech lab calls “the adipocyte supersystem.” However, their review highlights a set of genes that are known to promote metabolic health and were activated by both insulin and catecholamines in the same way.  

The Joseph “Nuzzy” Nozzolillo Memorial Foundation raised $26K in 2023, adding to their ongoing support of the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence.  Their six-year fundraising total has surpassed $111,000. The 6th annual Nuzzy Memorial Golf Tournament and 4th “Rockin’ for Nuzzy” fundraiser concert were organized by Joe's family and friends who are grateful for the care he received and optimistic about the diabetes research taking place at the UMass Chan DCOE.  PHOTOS & VIDEO

The Pappas Stem Cell Differentiation Core in the UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence is creating stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells to investigate human type 1 diabetes in vivo thanks to a financial gift from the Arthur M. and Martha R. Pappas Foundation.  The Pappas Foundation also funded the purchase of a state-of-the-art flow cytometer to characterize cells and their functional and signaling properties in our laboratories.   

Viral infections continue to be linked to the development of type 1 diabetes, yet human immune responses to viruses and how that leads to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas is still unknown.  The laboratory of Jennifer Wang, MD, investigated inflammatory pathways because viruses can trigger inflammation that damages the pancreas.  The research focused on early events leading to autoimmune responses to viruses with the ultimate goal of therapeutics that could target inflammation before T1D manifests.

Brown adipose tissue (fat tissue) is known to burn fat and improve metabolism while and white adipose tissue stores fat. Scientists are exploring cellular and molecular mechanisms that control brown fat, and how to convert white adipocytes into brown-like adipocytes. A newly published study in Nature Communications led by Qingbo Chen, PhD, describes a brown fat-enriched adipokine they call Adissp (Adipose-secreted signaling protein) that is a key regulator for white adipose tissue thermogenesis and glucose homeostasis.

The fourth annual Herman G. Berkman Diabetes Clinical Innovation Fund grant was awarded to optometrist Juan Ding, OD, PhD and co-investigator James Ledwith, MD, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Their project titled "Efficacy and Impact of Implementing an AI Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program in Family Medicine Clinics" offers a path to identify eye disease and improve comprehensive care for people living with diabetes.

Emilee Herringshaw is a UMass Chan Medical School student living with type 1 diabetes who is working towards a career in dermatology. She was awarded a clinical research grant by The American Contact Dermatitis Society to create a pilot study designed to evaluate skin reactions to continuous glucose monitors. Patients at the UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence are invited to participate and the data will be analyzed looking at all available devices, various scenarios & interventions.

This study conducted in the Brehm & Greiner labs and published in the The Journal of Leukocyte Biology describes the creation of a novel “humanized” mouse model that enables specific targeting of the human toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway in mice. These molecules help the immune system recognize infections and other harmful threats. Their new model allows scientists to test therapies in a human specific manner and show treatment efficacy against a human tumor.

Sam Redick, PhD, led the effort to develop and grow stem cell-derived islets at the UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence for various collaborative research projects, including genetically engineering them to become undetected by the immune system. Transplanting stem cell-derived into a person living with type 1 diabetes, without them requiring toxic immunosuppressive therapy, would be a life-changing curative therapy.  That is the core focus of the JDRF Center of Excellence in New England led by UMass DCOE co-director Dr. David Harlan. Learn more about Sam and her T1D research

The UMass Memorial adult diabetes clinic launched a Young Adult Clinic to help 18 to 26 year-olds who are struggling with any aspect of living with type 1 of type 2 diabetes. The care team includes an Endocrinologist, Nurse Practitioner and Diabetes Educator who explore the participant’s unique issues and create personalized care plans to help them achieve their health goals. Resources and peer to peer communication is included in the program.

Shrewsbury High School Chemistry teacher Jennifer Cuddy spent a second summer in the Diabetes Center of Excellence research laboratories thanks to an American Association of Immunologists High School Teachers Program in Immunology Award.  She participated in studies investigating the effects of human immune cells on stem cell-derived pancreatic islets. The program provided Ms. Cuddy with new skills that she can incorporate into her high school classroom.  

John Haley, a PhD candidate in the Guertin lab, was named the 2023 Emerging Scientist in Metabolism by Weill Cornell Medicine.  He was awarded the top prize in a national competition for senior graduate students who are conducting metabolism research. Haley plans to pursue post-doctoral training focusing on the intersection of metabolism and signaling.

A branch from the “Tree of Hippocrates” from an Oriental plane tree on the island of Kos, Greece was planted on the UMass Chan Medical School campus.  According to legend, Hippocrates of Kos, who is considered to be the father of medicine, educated his students near the tree more than 2,500 years ago. Three Diabetes Center of Excellence researchers spoke at the planting ceremony. 

The laboratory of vascular surgeon-scientist Tammy Nguyen, MD, PhD, developed a novel method in collaboration with Dr. Silvia Corvera’s lab to collect human stem cells directly from the bone marrow of people who underwent lower extremity amputations for non-healing wounds and grow them in her lab. Her research is examining why the immune cells of people living with diabetes behave differently than those without diabetes. In a newly published study, she identified that there are two different types of stem cell populations that are located within separate parts of bone marrow in the human leg. So far Dr. Nguyen has learned that stem cells derived from yellow/fatty marrow proliferate more and are more responsive. Currently she is asking additional questions in her lab to compare the marrow and immune cell development between people living with diabetes and those without diabetes.

The foregut endoderm contributes to several organs including the thyroid, lungs, liver, and pancreas. Approaches to study it has been impeded by lack of tissue access and cellular models. A protocol to develop human pharyngeal endoderm from stem cells was published by the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence laboratories of René Maehr, PhD and Michael Brehm, PhD at UMass Chan Medical School. 

Liver disease is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. It remains underdiagnosed and undertreated and many people living with T2D are unaware they have it.  A new process has been implemented utilizing a screening tool in the UMass Memorial diabetes clinic that analyzes clinically available data to determine patient risk of liver fibrosis.  

A Certified Child Life Specialist supports diabetic children and their families working with the care team to provide age appropriate support and interventions at UMass Memorial Medical Center. 

Michael Brehm, PhD, Associate Professor of Molecular Medicine, The Harvey A. Shultz Chair in Diabetes, and co-director of the UMass Chan Humanized Mouse Core, was promoted to associate director of the Diabetes Center of Excellence (DCOE) at UMass Chan Medical School in March of 2024. In this role, Dr. Brehm will work alongside co-directors David Harlan, MD, and Dale Greiner, PhD, in leading our diabetes research efforts, including the production of human stem cell-derived islets in the Pappas Stem Cell Differentiation Core.

Tammy Nguyen, MD, PhD, and Silvia Corvera, MD, published a review article in the journal Nature Metabolism that discusses the role of adipose tissue (fat tissue) in the aging process. As people get older age, fat tissue undergoes changes that can influence our metabolism, immune function, and even lifespan.  Drs. Nguyen & Corvera highlight that over time fat tissue loses its ability to store and release energy efficiently. It can lead to an imbalance in energy metabolism, contributing to conditions including cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes.

The 8th biannual Diabetes Foot & Health Care Clinic for the underserved community was held at South Middlesex Non-Profit Housing Corporation in Leominster organized by vascular surgeon & diabetes scientist Tammy Nguyen, MD.  All attendees received a foot exam, blood sugar, lipid & BMI testing, wound care and other health resources.  They were also each given sneakers, socks and a hot meal. The first of these bi-annual multidisciplinary outreach clinics was on World Diabetes Day in 2020 and are now held every summer and in November during Diabetes Awareness Month.  

The laboratories of Michael Brehm, PhD, and Dale Greiner, PhD, are leading a multisite collaboration that has been approved for a four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create cutting-edge humanized mouse resources to support the efficient development of human tissue resident macrophages in disease relevant models. 

UMass Memorial Diabetologist Madona Azar, MD, explains the connection between type 2 diabetes and liver disease. Understanding the risk of developing this common yet underrecognized condition is essential to treating it.

Nate Farrington is Supervisor of the Endocrinology & Diabetes care teams, overseeing operations at the Ambulatory Care Center on the University Campus, and the newly renovated Endocrinology and Metabolic Weight Clinics downtown Worcester. His recent Six Sigma Green Belt lean project has improved efficiency by reducing prescription wait times by more than 80%.  Nate has been sharing his productivity tool with other UMass Memorial departments, and he received two grants to help further his education. 

A study from the laboratory of Louis Messina, MD, published in JVS-Vascular Science, explored how hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) can affect the growth of new blood vessels (collateral arteries), that are important for maintaining blood flow when main arteries are clogged.  This is particularly relevant for conditions including peripheral arterial disease (PAD), where clogged arteries in the legs can lead to serious complications, including limb loss. People living with type1 and type 2 diabetes are at increased risk to develop PAD.

The 2024 Herman G. Berkman Diabetes Clinical Innovation Fund grant was awarded to Gianna Wilkie, MD, to conduct a clinical study at UMass Memorial Medical Center of pregnant women with type 2 diabetes comparing continuous glucose monitoring to multiple daily fingersticks to check blood sugars.  It will include maternal blood glucose control, patient satisfaction, and other perinatal outcomes.

A newly published study in Nature Metabolism from the laboratory of David Guertin, PhD, contributed to understanding brown fat metabolism and could potentially lead to new approaches for managing metabolic disorders.  The research, led by graduate student Kate Korobkina, provides new insights into mitigating mitochondrial stress and the connection between dietary carbohydrates and heat production in brown fat.

Scientists in the Breakthrough T1D Center of Excellence in New England are collaborating to create a stem cell-derived beta cell replacement therapy that would be invisible to the immune system and provide insulin independence for people with type 1 diabetes.  The team is led by David Harlan, MD, and includes 10 scientists from the Diabetes Center of Excellence at UMass Chan Medical School.

The laboratory of physician-scientist Jennifer Wang, MD, investigated the role of interferons in type 1 diabetes, discovering that type I interferon signaling is not the sole driver of the disease. Their newly published study tested JAK inhibitors like ruxolitinib. They found a potential preventative treatment that blocked diabetes development in their novel rat models of T1D, highlighting the complex interplay of immune factors in the disease's progression.

The laboratory of Jessica Spinelli, PhD, recently identified a molecule in mitochondria that helps to reroute energy production when oxygen levels drop. This discovery could provide new therapies for oxygen-starved conditions, including heart attacks & strokes, as well as cell replacement therapies.  The Spinelli lab is investigating how this new information could protect insulin-producing beta cells after transplantation.