A Letter from Our Directors
Across the world, the diabetes crisis continues to evolve—fueled by biological susceptibility, lifestyle changes, limited access to prevention and care, and rapid urbanization and technological change. Meeting this moment requires more than research; it demands leadership, innovation, and a shared global vision.
This year, the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) and our partners have demonstrated what that vision looks like in action here in Georgia and globally. EGDRC principal investigators secured nearly $40 million in diabetes-related extramural funding, advancing projects that bridge evidence with impact. New NIH-supported studies are helping improve diabetic foot care navigation, uncover links between tuberculosis and metabolic health, assess insulin access under the Inflation Reduction Act, and shape policies for GLP-1RA coverage. Each of these efforts brings us closer to a world where care is impactful, data-driven, and person-centered.
A highlight was the election of EGDRC Co-Director, Dr. Mohammed Ali to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), which is one of the highest national honors in the field of health and medicine. I was deeply honored to receive the American Diabetes Association’s 2025 Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes Award, a recognition that truly belongs to our entire global network. Together, we also launched the Copenhagen Declaration for Diabetes—a science-based blueprint developed by 51 experts from 27 countries, calling for transformative action to ensure fair access to prevention and treatments, strengthen health systems, and close the global research gap.
Our commitment to innovation extends from the global stage to our own backyard. Through StopNCD.org, we’ve expanded our “Top 10 Diabetes Challenges” initiative from India to rural Georgia—linking students, clinicians, and engineers to co-create solutions rooted in lived experience. This work now informs a new master’s-level course at Emory, designed to train the next generation of innovators who will merge technology, empathy, and community insight.
This year’s GCDTR Annual Scientific Symposium reminded us that progress happens through collaboration—when ideas, mentorship, and purpose align.
To our contributors, advisors, and partners: thank you for believing in this mission. Together, we are not just studying diabetes and conditions associated with it (cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, dementia, others) — we are redefining how the nation and the world respond to it.
With gratitude,
K. M. Venkat Narayan, MD, MSC, MBA
Executive Director, Emory Global Diabetes Research Center
Ruth and O.C. Hubert Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology
Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology
Mohammed K. Ali, MBChB, MSc, MBA
Co-Director, Emory Global Diabetes Research Center,
William H. Foege Distinguished Professor of Global Health,
and Vice Chair (Research), Dept of Family and Preventive Medicine
