CMB
Research
The Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has secured a $2.35 million renewal from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue their groundbreaking work through the Diabetes Research Center (DRC).
Now entering its seventh year of funding, the COBRE-Diabetes Phase 2 grant aims to strengthen research infrastructure and foster the next generation of scientists working to combat diabetes and its complications, particularly among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian populations who face disproportionately high rates of the disease.
Dr. Mariana Gerschenson, Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, leads the initiative as Principal Investigator. The award supports four research project leaders, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and the Metabolic and Analytic Core, which Dr. Olivier Le Saux, Chair of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, directs. CMB faculty, Drs. Kathryn Schunke and Michael Ortega are research project leaders.
“Diabetes and prediabetes affect nearly half of the U.S. population, and even more so in underserved communities,” said Dr. Gerschenson. “Our goal is to build a sustainable, collaborative center that addresses both the biological mechanisms and health differences associated with diabetes in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”
Since its inception, the DRC has mentored seven research leaders and seven pilot investigators, supporting research that spans basic science to clinical applications. Phase 2 will expand this mission by:
- Investigating diabetic complications, which occur at higher rates in racial and ethnic minorities.
- Recruiting four new tenure-track faculty focused on translational diabetes and insulin resistance research.
- Supporting pilot projects to build a strong pipeline of future research leaders.
- Engaging the community through an annual symposium and enhanced digital outreach.
Current research projects include:
-Developing non-invasive sweat sensors for monitoring complications,
-Studying the genomic links between diabetes and stroke in Native Hawaiians,
-Understanding diabetic autonomic neuropathy using animal models, and
-Understanding diabetic renal disease using animal models.
The COBRE-Diabetes program is helping position UH Mānoa as a hub for impactful, interdisciplinary research that directly addresses community needs.
Explore the Diabetes Research Center: https://drc.jabsom.hawaii.edu
Metabolic and Analytic Core: https://drc.jabsom.hawaii.edu/cores/metabolic-analytic-core.html