Wang Lab secures $ 2.7 million NIH grant to unravel mystery of beta cell failure in Type 2 Diabetes
By Patience Moseley, Ph. D. FSU College of Medicine
Yue“ Julia” Wang, Ph. D., was awarded a $ 2.7 million federal grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease( NIDDK) to unravel the mystery behind pancreatic beta cell failure in Type 2 diabetes.
For Wang, this award represents more than an opportunity to continue her research; it’ s a personal and a professional win. Her longstanding interest in molecular genetics of human disease has prepared her for this milestone.
“ During my Ph. D., I joined a lab that applied molecular and genetic tools to diabetes research, and that experience really shaped my path,” said Wang, a researcher in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University’ s College of Medicine. The more I learned, the more I didn’ t know about diabetes; it is such a complex disease, involving genetics and environments.”
Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 38 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now, thanks to the R01 grant from the NIDDK, an institute within the National Institutes of Health, Wang gets to really dive into the research with her own scientific questions
These highly competitive grants are considered a career milestone for most researchers, and receiving one usually ensures research funding for three to five years and validates the scientific impact of the work being funded.
The NIH awards R01s to only a small percentage of applicants whose research will address a critical problem to progress disease treatment or therapeutic strategies. Wang’ s research does just that.
Above, Wang lab gathering, from left, Yeling Hao, Hyeje Sumajit, Pilar Toledo, Julia Wang, Carson Mickey, Xue Hu, Ryan Kiddle, Pamela Sandoval Sanchez, and Jyoti KC.
28 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF MEDICINE