Diabetes Translational Research Core

The Yale-DRC Translational Research Core promotes novel and cutting edge clinical research in diabetes and related metabolic disorders with the ultimate goal of developing strategies that may lead to the treatment, prevention or ultimately the cure of diabetes. The role of this core is translational: to enable Yale DRC investigators to harvest the discoveries in basic medicine, and to apply them to investigations to understand human pathophysiology. While animals models and studies in vitro provide insights into human pathobiology, the processes in humans may not be equivalent to these experimental systems, therefore ultimately, to gain knowledge about human disease, studies with humans are necessary. The Overarching Aim of the Yale DRC Translational Research Core is to provide the infrastructure required to support Yale’s large group of NIH- funded clinical investigators, who are conducting clinical diabetes research including those serving as Yale Principal Investigators in NIDDK multi-center studies. During the current grant period, this objective has been extended to include a full range of support for an outstanding group of emerging young physician investigators engaged in diabetes research at the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health. The primary purposes of the Yale-DRC Translational Research Core are to: 1) in a cost-effective manner provide specialized clinical and translational research infrastructure for the investigators to conduct complex diabetes-related studies (e.g. insulin-glucose clamps, magnetic resonance imaging or spectroscopy studies; PET studies, stable isotope infusions; indirect calorimetry; body composition; muscle biopsies, dietary interventions and closed-loop insulin delivery) in adults and children with diabetes and related metabolic disorders, 2) centralize personnel and practices, provide services and reduce the costs, for the Yale DRC membership to enable and facilitate translational studies. By providing these services, a broad range of investigators may conduct studies with human material. In addition, through collaborations with the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, services needed to conduct investigator-initiated clinical trials are provided, 3) support the training of clinical scientists who can fulfill the Yale DRC research mission and emerge as leaders in translational investigations. In summary, the Yale DRC Translational Research Core, which stands alone in its translational mission, represents a vital asset of the Yale DRC in fulfilling its objectives.