Janice Jin Hwang, MD, MHS, Division Chief of Endocrinology and Metabolism, has been awarded a $2.796 million, 5 year, NIH U01 grant to investigate the neurocognitive effects of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in children. The project, titled “Mapping Neurocognitive Complications of Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes” is a collaboration among researchers, including Aysenil Belger, PhD, from psychiatry and Nina Jain, MD, from pediatric endocrinology.
This research is part of a larger effort involving 11 sites. Investigators aim to understand how T1D affects cognitive function in children, exploring factors like high and low blood sugar, vascular issues, insulin resistance, and diabetic ketoacidosis.
Currently, there’s limited long-term research on T1D in children. Preliminary studies suggest that T1D may alter brain structure and function, but significant knowledge gaps remain. This project aims to fill these gaps and improve outcomes for children with T1D.