Joslin Diabetes Center Investigator Rohit N. Kulkarni, MD, PhD, Awarded $10 Million NIH/NIDDK Grant for Pioneering Diabetes and Obesity Research

Boston, MA – Rohit N. Kulkarni, MD, PhD, the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation Endowed Chair and Co-Head of the Section on Islet & Regenerative Biology at Joslin Diabetes Center, has been awarded $9,920,607 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Kulkarni will serve as the Lead Principal Investigator (PI) on the collaborative project, which includes co-Principal Investigators from the University of Chicago, the University of Kentucky and the University of Pennsylvania. The five-year grant will support Kulkarni and colleagues’ groundbreaking research examining gene expression and regulatory activity in multiple metabolic cells—specifically alterations to messenger RNA (mRNA)—that lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity, with the goal of identifying potential targets for innovative treatments for the chronic conditions.

“We are thrilled to receive this competitive NIH grant, which will significantly advance our research efforts,” said Kulkarni. “This project represents a unique opportunity to explore an emerging frontier in diabetes and obesity research. By collaborating with colleagues from our partner institutions, we aim to uncover fundamental knowledge that could help gain critical insights into these complex metabolic diseases. Our ultimate goal is to develop innovative therapies that can alleviate the burden of diabetes and obesity, improving the lives of millions of people worldwide.”

In individuals with type 2 diabetes, the body becomes less responsive to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. Obesity exacerbates insulin resistance, creating a cycle that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and complicates its management. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity has risen dramatically worldwide in recent decades. These conditions are linked to numerous health problems, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and other metabolic disorders.

The NIDDK award will provide crucial support for Kulkarni and colleagues to take a new approach to the study of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Their research project, entitled “Epitranscriptomics in human obesity and type 2 diabetes,” addresses the two chronic diseases through a single lens, examining multiple metabolic cells—pancreatic islets, adipose (fat), skeletal muscle and blood cells—for the root cause for metabolic dysfunction.

“Traditionally, we’ve been examining what regulates protein levels in cells that are important for maintaining an organism’s homeostasis,” Kulkarni said. “Emerging data suggests that mRNA, which is important for making the proteins, is also being modified and regulated at a very high level itself. By focusing only on the proteins, we’ve been missing out on how mRNA is contributing to the overall regulation of cell function. In this project, we will be looking much earlier in the regulatory process of generating proteins—it’s an exciting area of biology where we might identify potential therapeutic targets. This approach opens up a lot of new ideas and possibilities.”

Kulkarni’s body of research has focused on understanding the function and regulation of pancreatic β (pronounced “beta”) cells which are responsible for producing and secreting insulin, a crucial hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. In diabetes, β-cell dysfunction leads to inadequate insulin production or improper use of insulin by the body, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels. Kulkarni’s work seeks to understand the cellular and molecular pathways that control islet cell function and expand this work to include other metabolic cell types, with the goal of developing new therapies to treat diabetes and obesity.

Kulkarni’s collaborators are: Chuan He, PhD, John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor, the University of Chicago, who uses chemical and biological tools to study dynamic and reversible RNA and DNA methylation in gene expression regulation, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator; Mengjie Chen, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Human Genetics and Statistics at the University of Chicago, who has developed new methodologies for analysis and interpretation of data emerging from genomics related research; Philip A. Kern, MD, , Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology at the University of Kentucky whose research has focused on studying adipose and muscle biology, as well as clinical research related to obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation and type 2 diabetes; and Ali Naji, MD, PhD, Professor of Surgery, Associate Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine whose research has focused on islet biology and immune pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes.

“Dr. Kulkarni’s work exemplifies the kind of pioneering research that Joslin Diabetes Center is known for,” said George L. King, MD, Chief Scientific Officer at Joslin Diabetes Center. “His dedication to understanding the complex biology of beta cells and his innovative approaches to diabetes treatment are truly inspiring, and this NIDDK grant is a well-deserved recognition of his contributions to the field. I’m confident that Dr. Kulkarni’s research will lead to significant advancements in diabetes care, bringing hope to the millions of people affected by this disease.”

Prior to joining Joslin Diabetes Center as a postdoctoral fellow in 1999, Kulkarni completed his MD and PhD degrees from St. John’s Medical College and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London, England.

A professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Member of the Broad Institute of MIT/Harvard, Kulkarni’s work is widely recognized for its innovative approaches to understanding beta-cell biology and diabetes pathogenesis. He has been recognized for his contributions to the field by the Ernst Oppenheimer (Endocrine Society), Albert Renold (EASD) and Paul E. Lacy Awards, and is an elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians.

About Joslin Diabetes Center

Joslin Diabetes Center is world-renowned for its deep expertise in diabetes treatment and research. Part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, Joslin is dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes and ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives. We develop and disseminate innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries throughout the world. Joslin is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and one of only 18 NIH-designated Diabetes Research Centers in the United States.