University of Kentucky Diabetes Prevention COBRE (UK-DPC)

ABSTRACT- ADMINISTRATIVE CORE The rapid rise in prediabetes prevalence has put 33% of U.S. adults (96 million people) at very high risk of developing overt diabetes. Kentucky is a leading state for prediabetes: 38% of our residents are estimated to have prediabetes. Five to 10% of adults with prediabetes are diagnosed with diabetes each year, indicating that Kentucky is on the precipice of disturbing increases in our already high diabetes rate. These statistics highlight the critical need for fundamentally new strategies that will delay or even halt the transition from prediabetes to diabetes throughout Kentucky and our nation. The University of Kentucky proposes to establish a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) focused on Diabetes Prevention (UK- DPC). This proposed transdisciplinary Center leverages support from institutional entities including the University-wide Diabetes Research Priority Area, the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, and our established research base in diabetes and diabetes complications. The UK-DPC will be overseen by an Administrative (Admin) Core, a unique resource intentionally structured to coordinate and facilitate diabetes prevention research at the University of Kentucky. The overall objective of the Admin Core is to support the development of skilled early-stage investigators and foster their independent research careers in diabetes prevention. This objective will be met through the primary goal of intensive mentoring teams for junior faculty Research Project Leaders (RPLs) with diabetes prevention research interests. The Admin Core will also award theme-related pilot grants targeted to junior faculty with high potential as future RPLs. Finally, the Admin Core will enrich all junior investigators’ projects through organization and oversight of theme-specific infrastructure provided by the Diabetes Prevention Data Solutions and Diabetes Prevention Phenotyping Cores, which will also be shared across the campus. To achieve these goals, the Admin Core will (1) implement the overall plan of the UK-DPC; (2) coordinate the scientific cores, projects, advisory committees, and mentoring activities; and (3) fulfill all evaluation responsibilities of the COBRE award with the ultimate outcome of developing a critical mass of investigators who compete effectively for independent, external research funding in diabetes prevention. The impact of the UK-DPC Admin Core will be a lasting infrastructure that supports scientific mentoring and leadership, along with sustainable core facilities that facilitate diabetes prevention research. Together these efforts will generate a cadre of junior faculty scientists with independent research careers in diabetes prevention, and position the University Kentucky as a national leader in this research area.