Understanding and preventing brain changes in children with type 1 diabetes
Official title: Identifying Targets for Preventing Neurocognitive Complications in Youth with T1D
Funded at Joslin Diabetes Center · NIH-11175443 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how type 1 diabetes affects brain health in young children and aims to find ways to protect their developing brains.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Joslin Diabetes Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $631,348 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK140790-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11175443 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pre-pubertal children aged 4-8 years who have been recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients outside the specified age range or those not newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes may not directly benefit from participating in this specific research.
What this research studies
This project aims to understand how type 1 diabetes affects brain development in young children, a critical time for brain maturation. Researchers will follow children aged 4-8 years who have been recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. They will look for factors that might put children at risk for brain health issues or protect them. The goal is to gather information that could lead to new ways to prevent these complications and support healthy brain development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to protect the developing brains of children with type 1 diabetes from potential complications.
How similar studies have gone: This project builds upon existing knowledge about type 1 diabetes and brain health, aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding in young children.
Where this research is happening
-
Joslin Diabetes Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Laffel, Lori M — Joslin Diabetes Center
- Study coordinator: Laffel, Lori M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Brown-fat lipids and their mimics for better metabolism
Researchers are studying small fat-related molecules produced by brown fat to understand how they help with metabolism and may lead to new ways to treat type 2 diabetes.
-
Understanding cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s changes in people with long‑duration type 1 diabetes
A long-term study in adults with type 1 diabetes investigates why some people experience memory and thinking difficulties and brain changes typical of Alzheimer's disease.
-
Epitranscriptomics in obesity and type 2 diabetes
Researchers are studying how gene activity changes in fat tissue and other organs to better understand obesity and type 2 diabetes, with the goal of finding new ideas for treatment.
-
APOL1-Linked Kidney Transplant Outcomes Network (APOLLO) Clinical Center
This grant supports a clinical center that follows kidney transplant patients to understand how APOL1 genetics affect transplant results and living donor health.
-
Proteostasis and lipid balance in aging: SKN-1A/Nrf1 in humans
A study in a worm model explores how a human-linked protein (Nrf1) helps balance fat, protein maintenance, and aging, with potential implications for related human diseases.
-
Glucagon Pump Therapy for PBH in People After Bariatric Surgery
A new approach uses a patch pump and smart control to deliver glucagon during meal-related lows in adults who had bariatric surgery and developed dangerous hypoglycemia.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.