Why gestational diabetes risk varies among Asian American pregnant people
Official title: Elucidating the high and heterogeneous risk of gestational diabetes among Asian Americans: an integrative approach of metabolomics, lifestyles, and social determinants
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11371346 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how metabolism, lifestyle, and social factors relate to gestational diabetes risk in Asian American pregnant people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 24, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $643,885 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018459-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371346 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Asian American people who are pregnant, especially those in California or who have participated in California pregnancy screening or cohort programs early in pregnancy.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, not Asian American, or who live outside the study region likely would not directly benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
If I am an Asian American person who is pregnant, researchers will use blood samples and health records from California pregnancy screening programs and a pregnancy cohort to measure many metabolites and compare patterns across Asian subgroups. They will combine those metabolic profiles with information about body fat distribution, diet, lifestyle, and social factors such as acculturation to see which combinations are linked with higher or lower gestational diabetes risk. The work uses stored biospecimens and existing data rather than asking for many new tests, and it focuses on why rates differ between Asian subpopulations. Findings aim to highlight biological and social contributors to risk that are often missed because Asian Americans are under‑represented in past studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help tailor screening, prevention, and early-care strategies for gestational diabetes in different Asian American groups.
How similar studies have gone: Metabolomics has previously identified metabolic signals linked to gestational diabetes, but few prior studies have focused on Asian American subgroups, so this approach is partly proven but novel for this population.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Liwei — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Chen, Liwei
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding the risk of gestational diabetes in Asian Americans
This study is looking into why Asian American women are more likely to develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy compared to other groups, and it aims to find out the biological and social reasons behind this difference to help improve health for these moms-to-be.
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Digital twins of the hypothalamus, placenta, and gut to help manage gestational diabetes
A study using computer-based models of a pregnant person’s brain, placenta, and gut to better understand how gestational diabetes develops and how to tailor treatments.
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IGF factors and binding proteins in gestational diabetes and fetal growth
A study in pregnant people looks at how insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins affect gestational diabetes and how a baby grows.
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STRONG group prenatal care to reduce gestational diabetes in American Samoa
A Yale-led program tests a group prenatal care approach to lower gestational diabetes among pregnant Pacific Islander women in American Samoa.
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Pancreatic beta cells, oxidative stress, and gestational diabetes
A study is exploring how oxidative stress and changes in pancreatic beta cells during pregnancy may contribute to gestational diabetes and future diabetes risk for both mother and baby.
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NDPP-MAP: A tailored online-hybrid program to reduce long-term health risks after pregnancy with gestational diabetes
A patient-friendly program adapts a proven diabetes prevention approach to help women who had gestational diabetes lower their risk of type 2 diabetes and heart problems.
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.