Investigators in the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (VDRTC) and collaborators at Stanford University have discovered new insights into the molecular mechanisms of cell proliferation in juvenile human pancreatic islets, information that could lead to new treatments for diabetes.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Health and Wellness has received a Certificate of Full Recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its diabetes prevention program for employees.

In between zip-lining through the woods and playing ball, 13-year-old Rhett Stanley takes a break from summer camp, pulls a tiny bag from his backpack and quickly tests his blood glucose level. Then, just as quickly, he’s back to the fun.

Eighteen-year-old Grace Long had just been accepted at the renowned United States Naval Academy, with plans to become a nuclear engineering officer. Then, she learned she had type 1 diabetes, an immediate disqualifier for military service.

In Middle Tennessee, where roughly one-third of children are overweight or obese, the risk of developing pediatric type 2 diabetes is high and the consequences can be serious.

Shichun Bao, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Medicine, unclips an insulin pump smaller than a deck of cards from her waistband to glance at its digital readout — but she doesn’t actually have diabetes and the pump contains only saline.