Center for Diabetes Research

The goals of the Center for Diabetes Research are to identify the causes and to develop new approaches for prevention and treatment of diabetes and diabetes-associated complications. Diabetes in our society is growing at an alarming rate, especially in the southeast.

Diabetes affects many tissues and functions including the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves and brain. Establishment of the Center for Diabetes Research in 2006 reflects that diabetes is a major and growing area of research in the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Within the Wake Forest community, the Center acts to increase awareness of diabetes and facilitate continued growth in diabetes-related research through the development of programs that integrate basic and clinical research. Diabetes research studies at the medical center cover the spectrum of modern research.

These studies range from laboratory studies investigating basic cellular mechanisms leading to diabetes through participation in major clinical trials of prevention and treatment programs.

The Medical School has special strengths in several areas of diabetes research. Of note are studies of the genetic contributors to diabetes and diabetes complications such as cardiovascular disease and nephropathy. Genetic research in minority populations is a special area of emphasis of the Center. In addition, Wake Forest is a major participant in NIH-sponsored clinical trials targeting diabetes prevention and prevention of cardiovascular disease and other complications in people with diabetes.

Researchers in the Institute for Regenerative Medicine are playing a prominent role in the development of stem cell technology for diabetes research and clinical applications.

The current goal of the Center is to continue expansion of basic sciences to complement the visible strengths in genetics and epidemiology, thus developing a nationally recognized, balanced, multidisciplinary program for diabetes research.