Dr. Lisa Staimez: Uncovering the Pancreas’s Mysteries through Art and Science
One hundred years after the discovery of insulin, the pancreas remains a focal point in the global rise of type 2 diabetes. Dr. Lisa Staimez, assistant professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, has crafted a unique way to shed light on this complex organ with her video, Magic of the Mystic Isles.
Supported by the Emory Arts Award, the video introduces the pancreas’s cellular world through humor, music, and art to illustrate how the organ’s islet cells regulate blood sugar levels—a process critical to preventing diabetes but often overlooked by the public.
Dr. Staimez’s project aligns with Emory’s tradition of integrating art with scientific education, a strategy that research has shown to improve engagement and comprehension. Studies highlight that arts integration enhances retention, allowing people to connect abstract concepts to sensory experiences.
Dr. Staimez notes, “Science can seem complex and detached, but through art, we can spark curiosity and make it feel relatable. Art invites us to see beauty in science and opens doors to understanding.”
In the video, Dr. Staimez uses humor and playful imagery to explain how pancreatic cells produce and balance hormones like insulin, which are essential for blood sugar regulation. As rates of type 2 diabetes continue to climb globally, this interdisciplinary approach brings attention to the urgent need for new research and public awareness about glucose regulation and diabetes prevention.
Understanding Pancreatic Complexities to Advance Type 2 Diabetes Research
Beyond her public engagement work, Dr. Staimez is at the forefront of diabetes research, specifically studying pancreatic complexities across populations. Over the last two decades, research has shown that pancreatic endocrine function varies among individuals, making some groups more susceptible to early deficiencies and diabetes.
Recently, Dr. Staimez was part of the launch of the Asian Centre for Endocrine Pancreas Research (AC-EPR), a collaborative effort among the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC), the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology Hospitals, Vanderbilt University, the University of Hyderabad, and St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences. Funded by the India Alliance and DBT-Wellcome Trust, AC-EPR aims to establish an Asian biorepository of human pancreatic islets to study how insulin secretion varies among populations with different diabetes risks.
“The Pancreatic Biobank emerged from a need to advance type 2 diabetes research on endocrine function,”says Dr. Staimez. “The pancreas’s location and structure make it hard to study, so establishing this biobank is a major step.”
As a diabetes epidemiologist, Dr. Staimez integrates population sciences into molecular research, helping translate cellular discoveries into clinical practice. Her work includes identifying biomarkers that signal diabetes risk and training new researchers in interdisciplinary research methods.
"This initiative seeks to overcome previous gaps in global diabetes research, particularly in understanding functional variations across populations," explains Dr. Staimez. "This collaboration is crucial for addressing diabetes comprehensively at the cellular level."
Through her work at Emory, Dr. Staimez’s unique blend of art and science is broadening public understanding of diabetes while advancing research to develop innovative prevention strategies. Her commitment to interdisciplinary learning is a testament to how creativity and science can together inspire public health progress and greater empathy for the journey of discovery.