Research

Ralph A. DeFronzo, M.D., Professor and Chief of the Diabetes Division, is world renown for his pioneering work on the pathogenesis and treatment of T2DM, having received the Banting Medal from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Claude Bernard Award from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). These are the highest scientific awards given by the ADA and EASD.

Marzieh Salehi, MD, MS, FACP, is Professor of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, Medical Director of the Bartter Clinical Research Unit at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, and Medical Director of the Hub Liaison Team for the Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science (IIMS) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA).  An internationally recognized physician-scientist, she leads a translational research program investigating gut–organ communication and the coordinated actions of GLP-1, glucagon, nutrient sensing, and neural pathways in regulating glucose metabolism and energy balance. Her work, supported by the National Institutes of Health more than 20 years and industry partnerships, combines cutting-edge human physiology with translational science to uncover mechanisms that drive obesity and diabetes and to transform mechanistic discoveries into next-generation metabolic therapies.

The seminal studies of Muhammad Abdul-Ghani, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, have helped to define the role of progressive beta cell failure in the evolution from prediabetes to T2DM and to elucidate the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction in the development of insulin resistance and T2DM.

Devjit Tripathy, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, has focused his basic research on endoplasmic reticulum stress, while his clinical studies have examined novel treatments for impaired glucose tolerance and T2DM.

Curtis Triplitt, PharmD, Associate Professor plays a vital role in supervising our large clinical research program and has a special interest in novel therapies for T2DM. These clinical research activities are conducted on the Barter Research Unit of UT Health San Antonio located in the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and on the Clinical Research Center at the Texas Diabetes Institute. The Clinical Research Center at the TDI is involved in the development of new medications and approaches for the treatment of T2DM.

Luke Norton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, oversees an active basic research program that focuses on the regulation of SGLT2 and its contribution to renal glucose reabsorption and the role of TCF7C2 in hepatic and adipocyte metabolism.