Disparities in the management and prognosis of type 1 diabetes

Michael Fang, PHD, MHS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He seeks a K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in order to obtain essential skills and mentored research experience for an independent career as a scientist in the field of diabetes epidemiology. The research proposal details a five-year plan to characterize the epidemiology of type 1 diabetes in children and adults in the US. Using data from a large administrative claims database, the specific aims of the research agenda are to: 1) Describe trends and racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in the use of diabetes technologies; 2) Quantify changes in the attainment of glycemic control and rates of morbidity and mortality, overall and across subgroups; and 3) Develop a new simulation model of type 1 diabetes to characterize disparities in life expectancy and lifetime risk of complications. Findings from the proposed research will identify the most pressing health problems affecting persons with type 1 diabetes, identify critical gaps in care, and inform efforts to reduce health inequities in the population. As part of his mentored career development, Dr. Fang will receive in-depth training in risk prediction, simulation methods, and translational research under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, and Dr. Jung-Im Shin, MD, PhD. Dr. Fang’s immediate career goals include developing expertise in analyzing “big” electronic health records data using a broad range of analytic approaches, including risk prediction, simulation modeling, and health informatics methods; generating rigorous evidence that can inform type 1 diabetes management and health policy; and fostering local, national, and international collaborations with researchers in similar and complementary areas of research/expertise. Long-term, Dr. Fang aims to establish a research program to characterize the global epidemiology of type 1 diabetes, with the goal of informing clinical recommendations and health policies for type 1 diabetes management worldwide.