Diabetes and obesity are two of the most pressing health challenges in North Carolina. More than 1 million North Carolinians live with diabetes, and over 2 million struggle with obesity. Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, amputations, and cardiovascular disease, significantly shortening lives and contributing billions of dollars in health care costs.
The UNC Diabetes Center of Excellence was established in November of 2006 by a vote of the UNC School of Medicine’s Deans Advisory Committee. The Center was led by John Buse, MD, PhD, Verne S. Caviness Distinguished Professor of Medicine from its founding until 2025. Going forward, the UNC Diabetes Center will be renamed the UNC Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Health to reflect the Center’s expanding focus on diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders. Janice Hwang, MD, MHS, chief of the UNC Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism will assume the role of director.
UNC has partnered with institutions, including Wake Forest University, Duke University, Agricultural and Technical State University, to form a state-wide consortium and further improve diabetes care, since 2015. The North Carolina Diabetes Research Center (NCDRC) was funded by the NIDDK in 2020 and has been successfully renewed this year.
Mission of the UNC Center for Diabetes & Metabolic Health
The missions of this center have been to:
- Foster the development of both basic biomedical research and clinical investigation in the areas of diabetes, obesity and metabolism
- Serve as a resource for all investigators within the University of North Carolina who have a research or service interest in these areas
- Be recognized as a model of translational application of the most efficient and cost effective provisions for improving quality of care for patients with diabetes based on new research findings
Looking Forward
To continue supporting its missions, the center will:
- Coordinate activities that raise awareness of, interest in, and support for basic and translational research in diabetes, its complications, and related endocrine and metabolic disorders at UNC
- Advance learning and promote scientific exchange related to diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism.
- Deliver world-class, integrated care for children and adults
- Accelerate discovery and translation of new therapies
- Expand training and workforce development to address the shortage of diabetes and metabolic disease specialists
- Lead statewide dissemination of best practices to improve outcomes across North Carolina.