Nami: Diabetes Research at CHOP

I have spent this past summer working at CHOP under Dr. Pinney in a lab researching genetic markers of monogenic diabetes. Dr. Pinney is a leading physician in her field helping children who were previously diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes but present atypical symptoms that are not consistent with their diagnoses. Several children with monogenic diabetes were diagnosed in early childhood and have been taking insulin for years, before their diagnoses were corrected and they discovered they didn’t need to be taking insulin. Monogenic diabetes typically involves a deficiency in either a glucose transporter or intermediate, instead of a lack of or insensitivity to beta cells and their receptors. I have been creating a database that allows us find increased levels of antibodies or high incidence of certain genes in patients with these monogenic forms of diabetes and help distinguish between them, to increase the facility of diagnosis. Prior to this summer, I was unaware that other forms of diabetes even existed, much less the differences in their development. Overall, I have had a wonderful opportunity to help in creating a program that will assist in easier determination of monogenic diabetes and I am excited to continue my research into the year.