Why some teens develop type 2 diabetes
Official title: Identify risk factors for type 2 diabetes in adolescents
Funded at Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp · NIH-11286825 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how puberty, obesity, and social or behavioral factors may cause some adolescents to develop type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, United States) |
| Project start | April 19, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK135015-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11286825 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adolescents entering or in puberty who are overweight or have other risk factors for type 2 diabetes (family history, prediabetes), including youth from higher-risk areas such as Appalachia.
✕Less likely to help
Very young children, adults, people without risk factors for type 2 diabetes, or those with type 1 diabetes are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this study.
What this research studies
You would be followed over several years through puberty while the team measures blood sugar, insulin levels, and other markers of beta-cell function. The study collects medical measurements, questionnaires about behavior and mental health, and information about family and community context, and may ask for blood or other samples. Researchers will compare teens who remain healthy to those who move from normal glucose to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes to map the timing and causes of change. The study also looks for differences by sex and between urban and Appalachian or rural communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early warning signs and modifiable risks so clinicians can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in teens.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows puberty and obesity raise diabetes risk, but long-term work that maps the precise timeline and social/behavioral contributors to youth-onset type 2 diabetes is limited, making this approach relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mamilly, Leena — Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
- Study coordinator: Mamilly, Leena
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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.