Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center

2018 Nursing Awards - Diabetes and Obesity Clinical Trials nurse Cindy Lovell, LPN, was awarded the Licensed Practical Nurse of the Year award at this year's Nursing Honors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is pictured here (center) with Dr. Al Powers, MD (left) and Diabetes Clinical Trials Manager Janet Fry, RN (right).

Team Vanderbilt - Participants in the 2017 Tour de Cure bike ride and walk, presented by the American Diabetes Association.

JDRF One Walk 2017 - Team Vanderbilt raised over $2,500 in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) during the annual JDRF One Walk. The JDRF One Walk aims to raise money for Type 1 Diabetes research in order to develop a cure for the disease in children and adults. Thank you to all who participated or donated this year!

Gannon Lab - We study genes that control the formation of beta cells in the embryo and also genes that regulate the increase in beta cell number in response to environmental cues such as pregnancy and increased weight gain.

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About the DRTC

The Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC)
is a NIH-sponsored Diabetes Center that facilitates the discovery, application, and translation of scientific knowledge to improve the lives of people with diabetes.

The DRTC highlights the research of its members by brief videos. Click here » to watch DRTC members describing his/her research.

Join Team Vanderbilt for the 2018 Tour de Cure!

Employment Opportunities for Faculty and Postdocs

Click here for more information >>

Daniel Lark, PhD, and colleagues publish new study on exercise and weight loss

A new study published in Diabetes explains why exercise alone is not enough to achieve weight loss. The study was conducted by Daniel Lark, PhD, and members of the Wasserman Lab. The article has been featured in The New York Times.

Discovery by Vanderbilt-led group could lead to improved diabetes treatment

Vanderbilt graduate student Diane Saunders, Marcela Brissova, PhD, research associate professor of Medicine, and MD/PhD student Rachana Haliyur are first authors of a paradigm-shifting paper on type 1 diabetes.

Initiative seeks to address malnutrition among adult patients

VUMC researcher, Heidi Silver, PhD, RD, MS, recently conducted a new study addressing malnutrition in adults by providing an education- and training-based intervention for healthcare providers.

Kevin Niswender, MD, PhD has been named Clinical Research Center Director at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

2018 American Association for the Advancement of Science elected fellows from Vanderbilt

Dr. David Wasserman, Dr. Richard Simerly, and Dr. Bruce Damon were elected to the 2018 AAAS Fellows. There are now 129 current and emeritus faculty from Vanderbilt that have received this honor.

Pancreatic islets study may spur diabetes treatment advances

Investigators in the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (VDRTC) and collaborators at Stanford University have discovered new insights into the molecular mechanisms of cell proliferation in juvenile human pancreatic islets, information that could lead to new treatments for diabetes.

Gifts highlight strong, lasting bonds between

patients and healers
Gratitude and validation: Michael Fowler, M.D.
An enduring tribute: Shubhada Jagasia, M.D., MMHC
Read More »

Support our Efforts »

My Health Chat: Advances in Diabetes Research »

The Vanderbilt Center for Diabetes Translation Research (CDTR)
and it cores provide services to investigators
with externally funded, diabetes-related
translational research.
Read More »

Vanderbilt Diabetes:
News Highlights »
Community Outreach »

Research Headlines

Featured Investigator:

David H. Wasserman, PhD

Annie Mary Lyle Chair
Professor, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Director, Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center

Research Specialty:
Metabolism

Insulin and glucagon regulation

Dr. Wasserman and his lab study animal models of metabolism via physical exercise, insulin stimulation, and diet.

Featured Article:

Cellular calcium handling in diabetes

David Wasserman, Ph.D., and graduate student Ian Williams have discovered how insulin moves through blood vessels and enters the skeletal muscle. This discovery could allow researchers to develop new methods of reversing insulin resistance.

Core Facilities

Cell Imaging Shared Resource (CISR)
Hormone Assay & Analytical Services Core
Islet Procurement & Analysis Core
Metabolic Physiology Shared Resource (MPSR)
Transgenic / ES Cell Shared Resource (TMESCSR)
Vanderbilt Diet, Body Composition and Metabolism Core

Calendar

Attend one of our upcoming meetings or seminars! Note that this calendar includes the BIG and MetabIG series!

When and where	Topic and related details

Jul. 11 9:00 AM 206 PRB	Beta Cell Interest Group (BIG) TBA TBA
Jul. 25 9:00 AM 206 PRB	Beta Cell Interest Group (BIG) Jack Walker (Powers' lab) TBA
Aug. 8 9:00 AM 206 PRB	Beta Cell Interest Group (BIG) Sarah Milian (Jacobson lab) TBA

View more meetings & seminars

Members & Leadership

DRTC Faculty Members
DRTC Executive Committee

More information

Contact Us

Alvin Powers
Director

Suzanne Starr
Administrative Officer

Jessica Kimber
Website Administrator

News & Events

Fast Links

The Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center is supported by NIH grant DK20593.