INDIANAPOLIS—Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD, has been appointed director of the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (CDMD) at Indiana University School of Medicine. Evans-Molina is the center’s second appointed director since it received designation from the National Institutes of Health in 2015.
The center’s mission is to bring cutting-edge research tools to diabetes investigators at IU and partner institutions in order to improve health outcomes in Indiana and around the world. Its membership includes 94 investigators representing IU School of Medicine, IUPUI, Purdue University, IU Bloomington, and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute.
Indiana has the 11th highest rate of diabetes in the United States.
“As we work to improve health outcomes in the state of Indiana, we cannot overlook the high rates of diabetes and chronic metabolic conditions that widely affect our communities,” said Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD, executive associate dean for research affairs at IU School of Medicine and associate vice president of research and clinical affairs for IU. “As both a physician and a scientist, Dr. Evans-Molina is an ideal candidate to lead the development of new treatments and ensure that these therapies are available to Hoosiers.”
After earning a medical degree at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in 2001, Evans-Molina completed her residency training in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Later, she completed both a Master of Science and PhD at the University of Virginia. She arrived at IU School of Medicine in 2008 as an assistant research professor.
Read more about Evans-Molina and her plans for the CDMD
Most recently, Evans-Molina served as the associate director of development and community engagement and director of the islet and physiology core at the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases. She is also director of the diabetes research program at the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research at IU School of Medicine and the J.O. Ritchey Professor of Medicine. She holds appointments in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics.
Additionally, Evans-Molina is involved with a number of external organizations dedicated to progress in the field of diabetes research, including the Rare and Atypical Diabetes Network, and the Integrated Islet Distribution Program. She is also the co-executive director of the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes and an editorial board member for the journals Translational Research, Endocrinology, JCI Insight, and Diabetes.
She succeeds Raghu Mirmira, MD, PhD, who served as director since 2014 and whose leadership helped secure NIH designation and funding.
“I look forward to working with the outstanding leadership team of the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases to continue to innovate our research efforts,” Evans-Molina said. “As part of these efforts, I am excited to build new partnerships with key stakeholders on campus and in our community to improve the health of all Hoosiers who are impacted by diabetes.”
The Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases provides support to the local diabetes research community through access to outstanding core services, enrichment programs, and pilot and feasibility funding. It also serves as an important conduit into the field for investigators who are new to diabetes research.
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IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability.