Facets of Diabetes and Obesity Research Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog English English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Translation is unavailable for Internet Explorer Cedars-Sinai Home 1-800-CEDARS-1 1-800-CEDARS-1 Close Find a Doctor Locations Programs & Services Health Library Patient & Visitors Community My CS-Link RESEARCH clear Go Close Navigation Links Academics Faculty Development Community Engagement Calendar Research Research Areas Research Labs Departments & Institutes Find Clinical Trials Research Cores Research Administration Basic Science Research Clinical & Translational Research Center (CTRC) Technology & Innovations News & Breakthroughs Education Graduate Medical Education Continuing Medical Education Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Professional Training Programs Medical Students Campus Life Office of the Dean Simulation Center Medical Library Program in the History of Medicine About Us All Education Programs Departments & Institutes Faculty Directory Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute Back to Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute About Us Research Areas Antipsychotic Drugs and Diabetes Research CB1 Receptor Antagonist and Adipocyte Studies Discovering Genes for Diabetes and Obesity Effects of High Altitude on Diabetes and Obesity Endothelial Dysfunction Impaired Insulin Resistance at the Cell Level Examining the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Weight Examining the Role of Insulin Clearance During Insulin Resistance Facets of Diabetes and Obesity Research GLP 1 and Gut Brain Communication Research for Obesity and Diabetes Islet Beta Cell Research on Insulin Secretion Mathematical Modeling Studies for Glucose Metabolism Methane Producing Microbes and Obesity Sex-Based Differences Regarding Obesity and Diabetes Weight-Loss Surgeries for Treatment of Obesity and Diabetes Team Research Labs Job Opportunities Facets of Diabetes and Obesity Research To further research for predicting, preventing, treating and, ultimately, curing diabetes and obesity, Cedars-Sinai has assembled a team of scientists for the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute (DORI). Led by Richard N. Bergman, PhD, DORI studies many facets of diabetes and obesity in search of solutions to help curb the growing epidemic of these metabolic diseases. Earlier in his career, Bergman developed the minimal model of glucose kinetics based on mathematical modeling. His engineering education brought a quantitative approach to a qualitative science, providing the ability to express in quantitative terms the compensatory relationship between insulin resistance and insulin response. The minimal model signaled a breakthrough in understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes, leading to expanded areas of study. A tool derived from the minimal model, the disposition index, is used to detect when the pancreas begins to fail early in the process and explains who is at risk for diabetes. Measuring insulin resistance as well as measuring the function of pancreatic beta cells led to the discovery that the primary defect in people at risk for diabetes is the inability of the pancreas to adequately compensate for insulin resistance. The minimal model and disposition index are still used throughout the diabetes research community for epidemiology and genetic studies and have prompted much of DORI’s current research. Measuring insulin resistance and identifying it as a risk factor for diabetes has guided studies to learn why insulin resistance is a risk factor. Uncovering the link between adiposity and insulin resistance has led to research to understand why fat is a risk factor for diabetes. Another discovery — that insulin works more slowly than initially thought — has led to studies investigating why insulin works slowly and how insulin crosses endothelial cells. DORI researchers are looking at impaired insulin resistance at the cell level to discover when endothelial dysfunction begins. The minimal model also uncovered the role of the liver and insulin degradation in diabetes. Examining the liver’s role in insulin clearance in both healthy and insulin resistant states may help determine whether therapies targeting the liver to reduce insulin clearance are potentially helpful in treating Type 2 diabetes. A recently developed lactate metabolism model has enabled an estimation of glucokinase activity to better understand insulin independent of the effects of glucose on metabolism. Genetic studies continue to search for a specific gene for Type 2 diabetes. Based on observations in twins, diabetes has a strong genetic component. While more than 60 diabetes-related variants have been identified, finding a specific gene has been elusive. Other hypothesis-based research approaches in DORI have been derived from inadvertent discoveries. The poisonous saliva of the Gila monster is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is resistant to destruction by the enzyme dipeptidyl-peptidase IV, unlike the GLP-1 that is found in the human gut. This knowledge led to the development of important medications currently on the market. DORI studies are focused on understanding and enhancing GLP-1 and the gut-brain communication in order to develop better therapies in regulating blood sugar and body weight. Bariatric surgery showed changes in insulin resistance and insulin production in the first week irrespective of weight loss. This finding has DORI scientist looking for the mechanisms leading to remission of Type 2 diabetes after bariatric surgery. The inverse association between diabetes and obesity in people living in high altitudes has led to DORI studies that examine which attributes related to high altitude are influencing the beneficial effect. In addition to research in the laboratory, Cedars-Sinai favors translational medicine. DORI members include scientists as well as physicians who collaborate on combining relevant science with clinical work. Bergman’s role is to guide the DORI team in performing diabetes and obesity work that has clinical relevance. The goal is to focus on research that leads to the development of drugs and medical devices for treating patients in addition to making new discoveries that could lead to a cure. Previous Research Kolka CM, Castro AV, Kirkman EL, Bergman RN. Modest hyperglycemia prevents interstitial dispersion of insulin in skeletal muscle. Metabolism. 2015;64(2):330-337. http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(14)00345-X/abstract. Castro AV, Woolcott OO, Iyer MS, Kabir M, Ionut V, Stefanovski D, Kolka CM, Szczepaniak LS, Szczepaniak EW, Asare-Bediako I, Paszkiewicz RL, Broussard JL, Kim SP, Kirkman EL, Rios HC, Mkrtchyan H, Wu Q, Ader M, Bergman RN. Increase in visceral fat per se does not induce insulin resistance in the canine model. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015;23(1):105-111. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.20906/full. Chiu S, Williams PT, Dawson T, Bergman RN, Stefanovski D, Watkins SM, Krauss RM. Diets high in protein or saturated fat do not affect insulin sensitivity or plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins in overweight and obese adults. J Nutr. 2014;144(11):1753-1759. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/144/11/1753. Ionut V, Castro AV, Woolcott OO, Stefanovski D, Iyer MS, Broussard JL, Burch M, Elazary R, Kolka CM, Mkrtchyan H, Bediako IA, Bergman RN. Hepatic portal vein denervation impairs oral glucose tolerance but not exenatide’s effect on glycemia. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2014;307(8):E644-652. http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/307/8/E644. Woolcott OO, Castillo OA, Gutierrez C, Elashoff RM, Stefanovski D, Bergman RN. Inverse association between diabetes and altitude: a cross-sectional study in the adult population of the United States. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014;22(9):2080-2090. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.20800/abstract. Bergman RN, Stefanovski D, Kim SP. Systems analysis and the prediction and prevention of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2014 Aug;28:165-170. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166914001025. Castro AV, Kolka CM, Kim SP, Bergman RN. Obesity, insulin resistance and comorbidities: mechanisms of association. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metabol. 2014;58(6):600-609. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0004-27302014000600600&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt. Ader M, Stefanovski D, Richey JM, Kim SP, Kolka CM, Ionut V, Kabir M, Bergman RN. Failure of homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance to detect marked diet-induced insulin resistance in dogs. Diabetes. 2014;63(6):1914-1919. http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/63/6/1914. Bergman RN, Stefanovski D, Buchanan TA, Sumner AE, Reynolds JC, Sebring NG, Xiang AH, Watanabe RM. A better index of body adiposity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011;19(5):1083-1089. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2011.38/full. Bergman RN. What for genetics? Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(3):507-508. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2008.28/full. Bergman RN. Watch out for the little guy. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(2):219-220. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2007.124/full. Bergman RN. Orchestration of glucose homeostasis: from a small acorn to the California oak. Diabetes. 2007;56(6):1489-1501. http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/56/6/1489.full. Bergman RN, Kim SP, Hsu IR, Catalano KJ, Chiu JD, Kabir M, Richey JM, Ader M. Abdominal obesity: role in the pathophysiology of metabolic disease and cardiovascular risk. Am J Med. 2007 Feb;120(2 Suppl 1):S3-8; discussion S29-32. Review. http://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(06)01361-1/abstract. Bergman RN, Kim SP, Catalano KJ, Hsu IR, Chiu JD, Kabir M, Hucking K, Ader M. Why visceral fat is bad: mechanisms of the metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006 Feb;14 Suppl 1:16S-19S. Review. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2006.277/abstract. Bergman RN. Minimal model: perspective from 2005. Horm Res. 2005;64 Suppl 3:8-15. http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/89312. Have Questions or Need Help If you have questions or would like to learn more about the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai, please call or send us a message. 8700 Beverly Blvd. Thalians Health Center, Room E104 Los Angeles, CA 90048 310-967-2795 Fax:310-967-3869 SEND A MESSAGE Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility