Delong receives early investigator award

Thomas Delong, School of Medicine, recently received a Pathway Accelerator – Early Investigator Award for his translational research project titled, "The Role of Hybrid Insulin Peptides in the Development of Type 1 Diabetes."

With nearly 30 million adults and children in the U.S. living with diabetes, and another 86 million living with prediabetes, diabetes is a physical and financial burden for the health of the nation. To accelerate the research needed to discover solutions to this deadly epidemic, the American Diabetes Association's initiative, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, will fund 100 new diabetes researchers over the next decade.

With more than $35 million in gifts from individuals, foundation and corporations, including program sponsors Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca and the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, the prestigious Pathway award nominees are selected through internal competition at U.S. academic and nonprofit research institutions that identify and nominate their most creative and talented scientists. These scientists, who are just starting their careers in diabetes research, or who are already established in another field but want to expand their focus to diabetes research, propose innovative ideas for diabetes research projects. From 116 nominations this year, the American Diabetes Association awarded six Pathway grants.

Selected Pathway award recipients will receive $1.625 million in support for five to seven years to fund research relevant to any diabetes type, diabetes-related disease state or diabetes complication. Nominations included investigators from a broad range of disciplines, including medicine, biology, chemistry, engineering, physics and mathematics.