Research & Discovery

Welcome to the Research Branch of the Kovler Diabetes Center. There is a rich history of over 100 years of diabetes-related research at the University of Chicago and the legacy continues today. The current research conducted at the Kovler Diabetes Center is quite comprehensive covering most aspects of diabetes and obesity at both the clinical and basic laboratory levels. This is an advanced and dynamic research center, where interaction between the scientists across multidisciplinary research areas creates synergy and an inspiring atmosphere of translational research. There are more than 25 principal investigators affiliated with the Kovler Diabetes Center, all of them University of Chicago faculty, that together with their research teams converts into over 150 scientists dedicated to make innovative discoveries that lead to novel treatments, prevention and even potential cures for type 1 and 2 diabetes, obesity, and diabetic complications. Although only recently formed in May 2007, the Kovler Diabetes Center starts out as one of the largest diabetes and obesity research institutes in the world.

Find more about the specialized theme areas of diabetes and obesity research and University of Chicago faculty that conducts this at the Kovler Diabetes Center by clicking to Clinical Research, Diabetes Complications, Genetics & Epidemiology, Immunology, Islet Biology, Signal Transduction, Obesity, Sleep, Stem Cell & Developmental Biology.

The Kovler Diabetes Center also contains a long standing NIH funded Diabetes Research Training Center (DRTC) that provides several outstanding educational, clinical and basic science core facilities, as well as programs focused on improving the quality of care and outcomes of vulnerable patients with diabetes. This is a marvelous asset and accelerates the pace of diabetes/obesity research and education here.

The Kovler Diabetes Center has close ties to the Committee on Molecular Metabolism & Nutrition (CMMN).  This is a specialized graduate education program that is an advanced degree-granting unit in the Biological Sciences Division at the University of Chicago specialized in education and research into the molecular basis of metabolic homeostasis as it relates to human disease. Many of the CMMN graduate students conduct their thesis research work and training in the Kovler Diabetes Center. Together with the DRTC and CMMN we are training the next generation of diabetes and obesity researchers.