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Maki Nakayama MD

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
  • Anschutz Campus - Sch of Med - BDC Basic Research

Dr. Nakayama joined the BDC faculty in 2009. Her research strives to understand the mechanism of initiation of anti-beta cell autoimmunity. She focuses on the tri-molecular complex consisting of antigen, major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and T cell receptor (TCR) that could be a key component for the development of T1D.  Her laboratory explores antigen specificity of autoreactive T cells having different functions (i.e. pathogenic vs regulatory T cells) that target pancreatic beta cells; the role of T cells expressing specific TCRs in the development of T1D using an animal model; the potential of TCR sequences to be used as T cell biomarkers to predict the development of type 1 diabetes as well as recurrence of hyperglycemia after clinical therapeutic trials; lastly, exploring the mechanism of transplantation failure in T1D patients.  Dr. Nakayama has been part of the JDRF-Helmsley nPOD missions, which is an international network of characterizing pancreata from cadaveric organ donors with T1D. 

Education, Licensure & Certifications

MD: Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan (1994)
PhD: Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan (2002)

Research Division

*No patient/clinical inquiries:

303-724-1449