Human Physiology Core

The Human Physiology Core provides state-of-the-art, cost-effective, centralized services for assessment of biochemical analytes, human body composition and energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and beta-cell function for diabetes-related research studies. Toward this end, the Core maintains instruments, collects and provides quality control data, maintains and offers a web-based scheduling system, and provides staffing by trained technical personnel for a broad suite of measures and services that can accommodate the needs of small pilot studies and student projects up to large R01-level protocols. In addition, the Core promotes multi-disciplinary research in diabetes across the UAB campus, and offers training, advice, and instruction to students, fellows, and faculty. Lastly, the Core contributes to the development, evolution, and expansion of methodology in field of diabetes at UAB by implementing and validating new technology and methodology. New technology offered in this project period includes analysis of renal sinus fat from magnetic resonance imaging. Developmental work includes use of dried blood spots for analysis of hormones from study participants providing remote samples. The Human Physiology Core plays a central role in the DRC in the translation of basic research findings into an understanding of human physiology and pathophysiological mechanisms causing diabetes and cardiometabolic disease.