Research & Grants

Pathway to Stop Diabetes®

The goal of the American Diabetes Association’s Pathway to Stop Diabetes program is simple, yet revolutionary: find a new generation of scientists at the peak of their creativity, and provide them with the freedom, autonomy, and resources to set them on the road to breakthrough discoveries in translational science that lead to breakthroughs in diabetes science.

The Pathway to Stop Diabetes program is designed to transform diabetes research by attracting innovative scientists, physicians, and researchers through financial support and professional mentorship.

Since the program’s inception in 2014, 39 scientists have been selected and 100 percent have secured their first independent faculty positions, 46 invention disclosures and patent applications have been filed, 16 start-ups have been launched, and over 300 manuscripts have been published in peer-reviewed journals by Pathway awardees.

ADA's Pathway to Stop Diabetes initiative is transforming diabetes research and improving the lives of people living with diabetes or its burdens.

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Mentor Advisory Group

Pathway awardees are selected by the ADA’s Mentor Advisory Group—an assemblage of eminent scientists from diabetes research and other fields who personify the core elements needed for exceptional science: rigorous thought processes, keen intellect, and the capacity for innovation, creativity, and productivity. In addition to the selection process, the mentors will provide ongoing scientific and career advice to Pathway researchers throughout the duration of the awards, creating a challenging and collaborative environment in which transformative science can thrive.

Chair

Christopher B. Newgard, PhD
Duke University

Chair

Louis Philipson, MD, PhD
University of Chicago 

Barbara J. Anderson-Thomas, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine

Mark Atkinson, PhD
University of Florida

Charles F. Burant, MD, PhD
University of Michigan

David A. D’Alessio, MD
Duke University

Daniel J. Drucker, MD
Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

Joel Elmquist, DVM, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Anthony Ferrante Jr., MD, PhD
Columbia University

David M. Harlan MD
University of Massachusetts Medical School

Barbara Kahn, MD
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Rohit Kulkarni, MD, PhD
Joslin Diabetes Center

Lori Laffel, MD, MPH
Joslin Diabetes Center

David Nathan, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Jane Reusch, MD
University of Colorado, Denver

Christopher J. Rhodes, PhD
AstraZeneca

Alan R. Saltiel, PhD
University of California, San Diego

Jean E. Schaffer, MD
Harvard Medical School

Michael Schwartz, MD
University of Washington

Andrew Stewart, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Karen Talmadge, PhD
Nabu Strategic Advisor

Pathway Symposium at ADA's Scientific Sessions

At ADA's Scientific Sessions, the Pathway to Stop Diabetes Symposium, highlights many of our innovative and brilliant awardees. The following researchers showcased their scientific updates:

Aleksandar D. Kostic, PhD
Joslin Diabetes Center
Project Title: Unseen Allies—How Bacteria Speak to Our Immune System to Tackle Type 1 Diabetes  
Judith Agudo, PhD 
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Project Title: Hiding in Plain Sight—Cloaking Beta Cells from Immune-Mediated Damage
Philip J. White, PhD 
Duke Molecular Physiology Institute
Project Title: Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Diabetes—A Closer Look
Lisa Beutler, MD, PhD 
Northwestern University
Project Title: The Brain on Sugar—Investigating Neural Changes That Promote Obesity and Diabetes
Anna Kahkoska, MD, PhD 
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Project Title: Whole Person Care – Identifying and Treating Diabetes Distress as part of Routine Type 1 Diabetes Care
Mayland Chang, PhD
University of Notre Dame
Project Title: A therapeutic option for diabetic foot ulcers
Ebony B. Carter, MD, MPH
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Project Title: Targeted Lifestyle Change (TLC) Group Prenatal Care
Zhen Gu, PhD
Zhejiang University
Project Title: A Translational Pathway of Smart Insulin Patch
Sumita Pennathur, PhD
University of California, Santa Barbara
Project Title: Untethering diabetes through innovative engineering
Michael Stitzel, PhD
The Jackson Laboratory
Project Title: Single cell genomic resolution of human islet cell type-specific defects in type 2 diabetes
Sarah Tishkoff, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Project Title: Identification of genetic risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Africans