Research at the Barbara Davis Center
Advancing Breakthroughs in Diabetes Treatment
The Barbara Davis Center serves as a model for combining basic and clinical investigation.
The Center is a consistent incubator for novel ideas and discoveries in the immunology, genetics, and cell biology of diabetes that have developed into diagnostic assays now standard in diabetes research. The BDC research goals include investigation of the causes of type 1 diabetes, the early detection of autoimmunity, prevention and early intervention. In addition we are developing new treatments, including a focus on the artificial pancreas, and prevention strategies for complications of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and the outcomes of care of type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes Research Center
The Diabetes Research Center is a independent, NIH-funded center focused on improving the understanding of disease etiologies and progression and promoting the development of treatments and cures for diabetes. The center is comprised of researchers with a myriad of backgrounds in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Basic and Translational Research Division
The Research Division seeks to further develop our understanding of the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes at both the cellular and molecular level. This division is comprised of multiple labs working on numerous projects, from immune-based therapies to T-cell function. A core focus is on studying disease predicting biomarkers and identifying methods to protect beta cells from autoimmune destruction, the primary cause of type 1 diabetes. The division also provides support to clinical research though assays and testing and offers many training opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral researchers.
Clinical Research
Clinical investigators at the Barbara Davis Center are actively involved in studies and trials evaluating new therapeutics and technologies for diabetes management and prevention. The Center actively collaborates with with other institutions, both nationally and globally, in order to improve outcomes for patients with type 1 diabetes. Our clinical research includes NIH funded clinical studies, industry funded drug trials, as well as privately funded studies, though organizations such as the Helmsley Foundation and the JDRF.
Clinical Epidemiology
The Barbara Davis Center's Clinical Epidemiology program includes multiple prospective, observations clinical studies focused on the causes and complications of type 1 diabetes as well as other autoimmune disorders. The center is an active participant in ASK, TEDDY, and DAISY, as well as other studies evaluating T1D outcomes and complications.