Washington University Receives $3 Million For New Diabetes Research Center

Washington University has received a five-year, $3 million grant to establish a new diabetes research center, according to a news release from the school.

The center will focus on developing better ways to prevent and treat Type 2 diabetes in high-risk patients, including American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Washington University was one of seven institutions awarded funding to establish this type of diabetes facility.

“This grant will enable us to support research that addresses the root causes of diabetes and disparities,” said Debra Haire-Joshu, professor of public health at the Brown School and the School of Medicine and director of the new center.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with high blood sugar—a hallmark of the disease—and many more are at risk of the disease because they are older, overweight or have a family history of the disease.

American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest diabetes prevalence rates of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. American Indians and Alaska Natives are twice as likely as white adults to suffer from Type 2 diabetes.