Research

Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism:
RESEARCH

• Artificial Pancreas Receives $3.4 Million in NIH Grant

The Fall 2013 Thorner Research Symposium, organized by the Division of Endocrinology in honor of retiring faculty member Michael O. Thorner, was a highlight of the past year. The symposium drew former Thorner trainees from all over the globe, and showcased the international impact of Dr. Thorner’s career, as well as the division’s research and fellowship programs. Read more about the symposium here.

The Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism received over $4 million in externally funded research grants this past year.  Faculty members are currently conducting basic and/or clinical research in the following laboratories:

• Barrett: insulin action and how it is altered by insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes mellitus
• Carey: hormonal control of blood pressure and hypertension
• Dokun: Diabetes and peripheral arterial disease
• Farhy: Regulation of pancreatic hormone secretions
• Keller: insulin signaling and insulin-regulated membrane trafficking
• Liu: Insulin’s vascular action and its relation to insulin’s metabolic action and cardiovascular complications of diabetes
• Marshall: Polycystic ovary syndrome and GnRH pulsatility
• McCall: brain metabolism, hypoglycemia, diabetes and the nervous system, mathematical analysis of glycemic patterns, glucagon pulsatile secretion and hypoglycemia
• McCartney: causes of abnormal GnRH pulses and abnormal gonadotropin secretion in adolescent and adult polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)
• Nunemaker: Islet inflammation and diabetes
• Padia: Obesity and hypertension
• Santen: Estrogen and breast cancer
• Shupnik: hormonal regulation of gene expression and influence on physiological and pathophysiological processes
• Siragy: biology and pathophysiology of angiotensin subtype receptors in cardiovascular system
• Thorner: Regulation of ghrelin secretion and neuroendocrinology

New awards received during FY 2014 totaled over $3.2 million and include:

• Anderson, Stacey – Medtronic Inc. (CEP-273)
  Barrett, Eugene – NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) 1F32DK096852-02 (training grant); 5R01DK073759-09: Pan-arterial insulin resistance – a target for clinical intervention; 1R01DK101944-01A1: Reversing vascular dysfunction in type 1 diabetes
• Carey, Robert – NIH-NIDDK 5T32DK007646-25: Research training in neuroendocrinology
• Farhy, Leon and Susanna Keller – UVA School of Medicine R&D award: “Novel Molecular Pathways Regulating Glucagon Secretion.”
• Keller, Susanna – NIH-NIDDK 5R01DK081471-04: Role of Rab GAPs AS160 and Tbc1d1 in GLUT4 translocation and glucose homeostasis
• Liu, Zhenqi – NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) 5R01HL094722-05: Insulin action in human cardiac and skeletal muscle microvasculature; Endocrine Society/Endocrine Fellows Foundation research grant (EFF fellow Wenyan Huang)
• Marshall, John – NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research, 2U54HD028934-21: Clinical and Basic Studies in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (Center for Research in Reproduction); NIH National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), 1F32HD078088-01: polycystic ovary syndrome and GnRH pulsatility
• McCall, Anthony – ICON Clinical Research, Inc. (H9X-MC-GBDJ); Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc. (AVE0010-EFC11319)
• McCartney, Christopher – Endocrine Society/Endocrine Fellows Foundation research grant (2013-14 EFF fellow Amy D. Anderson)
• Nunemaker, Craig – Georgia Regents University (25034-25); NIH-NIDDK 5R01DK089182-04: Low-grade Inflammation, Cytokines, and Beta-Cell Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes
• Santen, Richard – Pfizer Pharmaceutical Labs, W52359485; NIH National Cancer Institute, 5R01CA158328-02: estrogen and breast cancer
• Siragy, Helmy – NIH-NHLBI, 5R01HL091535-12: Prorenin Receptor Mediates Early Changes in Diabetic Kidney (renewal); NIH-NIDDK 5R01DK078757-08: (Pro)renin receptor and renovascular hypertension
• Thorner, Michael – Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Inc. (18 GlucaGen Hypo); MD-INMD NovoNordisk Educational grant – Visiting Professor for Grand Rounds & Residents Seminar – Accredited Independent Medical Education (CME/CE)

Research Centers

Endocrine-related research centers with key leadership from division faculty include:

Center for Diabetes Technology: Stacey Anderson, Medical Director

Center for Research in Reproduction:  John Marshall, Director

• Focus on understanding and treatment of reproductive disorders, particularly underlying mechanisms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); investigations in all areas of basic and clinical research in reproduction
• Funded by NIH-U54 grant, Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction Research
• Ligand Assay & Analysis Core (directed by Daniel Haisenleder)
• For more, click here.

The Diabetes Center:  Eugene Barrett, Director

• Core laboratories: Assay Core; Genomics Core; Clinical Translational Science Core
• Research in pancreatic islet biology and genetics, control of plasma glucose in clinical environment, insulin action and resistance, diabetes complications

Virginia Center for Diabetes Professional Education:  Anthony McCall, Medical Director

Reflecting shifting priorities in federal funding, the division will begin placing greater emphasis in the future on clinical and translational research, particularly in diabetes, hypertension and reproductive endocrinology.