The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

Intrauterine Environment

The Intrauterine Environment Program supports both basic and clinical research investigating the mechanisms by which the intrauterine environment alters metabolic responses in the offspring. A particular focus will be the role of maternal diet on the development of obesity and the pathophysiological consequences of obesity, particularly Type 2 diabetes, on the offspring. Investigations will be aimed at elucidating the signals that mediate the long term effects of prenatal environment on the offspring including, but not limited to:

1. intracellular signaling pathways,
2. inflammatory cytokines,
3. nutrient sensing pathways, and
4. epigenetic imprinting.

These pathways will be studied in a number of target tissues including liver, adipose, skeletal muscle, pancreas and brain. Clinical studies which expand on basic research findings and/or explore basic mechanisms involved in human obesity are encouraged. The long term goal of this program is to identify molecular targets that could be therapeutically altered in order to prevent or alleviate the increasing incidence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

For additional information, contact Dr. Corinne Silva, Director, Intrauterine Environment Program.

Resources for Researchers Databases, Registries and Information Basic Research Networks Reagents Services Standardization Programs Tissues, Cells, Animals Useful Tools Clinical Research Multicenter Clinical Research Search for Clinical Trials Centers Diabetes Center Programs - Overview & Map Committees and Advisory Groups Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee (DMICC) Related Study Sections Kidney, Nutrition, Obesity and Diabetes [KNOD] Hypersensitivity, Autoimmune, and Immune-mediated Diseases Study Section [HAI] Transplantation, Tolerance and Tumor Immunology Study Section [TTT] Cellular Aspects of Diabetes and Obesity Study Section [CADO] Integrative Physiology of Obesity and Diabetes Study Section [IPOD] Integrative Nutrition and Metabolic Processes Study Section [INMP] Clinical and Integrative Diabetes and Obesity Study Section [CIDO] Integrative and Clinical Endocrinology and Reproduction Study Section [ICER] Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology Study Section [MCE] Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Trauma [SAT] NIDDK Staff Dr. Kristin Abraham, Cell Signaling and Diabetes Centers Program Director Dr. Beena Akolkar, Immunopathogenesis and Genetics of Type 1 Diabetes Program Director Dr. Michael Appel, Director, Islet Biology and Transplantation Research Program Dr. Guillermo Arreaza-Rubin, Director, Clinical Immunology, Type 1 Diabetes Program Dr. Olivier Blondel, Director, Endocrine Systems Biology Program Dr. Arthur Castle, Director, Metabolomics and Informatics Programs Dr. Catherine Cowie, Director, Diabetes Epidemiology Program Dr. Thomas Eggerman, Director, Islet Transplantation Clinical Trials Program Dr. Judith Fradkin, Director, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases Dr.Michael Flessner, Inflammatory Kidney Diseases Program Director Dr. Sandy Garfield, Senior Advisor for Biometry and Behavioral Research Program Dr. Carol Haft, Senior Advisor for Cell Biology, Associate Director for Grants Administration Dr. Christine Hunter, DEM, Director, Diabetes and Obesity Behavioral Research Program Dr. James Hyde, Senior Advisor, Research Training and Career Development Programs Dr. Teresa Jones, Diabetes Complications Program Director Dr. Chris Ketchum, Basic Renal Biology Program Director Dr. Maren Laughlin, Senior Advisor for Integrative Metabolism Dr. Ellen Leschek, Type 1 Diabetes Trialnet Program Director Dr. Barbara Linder, Senior Advisor for Childhood Diabetes Research Dr. Saul Malozowski, Senior Advisor for Endocrine Physiology Dr. Ronald Margolis, Senior Advisor, Molecular Endocrinology Dr. Catherine McKeon, Senior Advisor for Genetic Research in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Dr. Aaron Pawlyk, Director, Pharmacogenomics and Drug Discovery Program Dr. Sheryl Sato , Director, Neurobiology of Obesity and Developmental Biology Dr. Salvatore Sechi, Proteomic Program Director Dr. Corinne Silva, Director, Intracellular and Intrauterine Signaling Programs Dr. Philip Smith, Deputy Director of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Co-Director, Office of Obesity Research Dr. Lisa Spain, Director, Immunobiology of Type 1 Diabetes Program and Autoimmune Endocrine Diseases Program Dr. Myrlene Staten, Senior Advisor, Diabetes Research Translation Katherine Nicholson, Program Analyst

Funding Opportunities Special Type 1 Diabetes Funding NIDDK PAs, RFAs, and Notices Diabetes Research PAs General NIDDK PAs Funding for Special Communities Training and Careers Small Business Conferences Conference Grant Support Upcoming Past Diabetes Conference Reports Related Reports The Type 1 Diabetes Research Strategic Plan Conquering Diabetes: A Strategic Plan for the 21st Century Full Report (pdf, 100kb)and Report Summary and Recommendations from the Diabetes Research Working Group (1999) Evaluation Report on the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes Research Report on Closing the Disparity Between Hemoglobin A1c Guidelines and Practice (pdf,120kb) Report on Progress and Opportunities: Special Statutory Funding for Type 1 Diabetes Research Related Organizations American Diabetes Association Endocrine Society Juvenile Diabetes Foundation See Also Type 1 Diabetes Special Funding Program Endocrinology Research at NIDDK Obesity Research at NIDDK Metabolic Research at NIDDK Pancreas Research at NIDDK Obesity Research at NIDDK Diabetes Education for Tribal Schools (DETS) National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) Medline Plus: Diabetes Diabetes Health Information for the Public Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee (DMICC) Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (food pyramid) Diabetes in America (epidemiology and statistics)

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Page last updated: August 20, 2012