New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research - Life Course Methodology Core

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Life Course Methodology Core (LCMC) The overall goal of the Life Course Methodology Core (LCMC)of the New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research is to support high quality type II translational research in diabetes prevention and control across the life span. The life course perspective focuses on the biopsychosocial and behavioral processes that individuals experience during particular periods in their life, and examines the interplay between these exposures in shaping disease risk. Currently, there is strong evidence from observational studies that the processes that lead to the development of diabetes start early in life and continue throughout the lifespan. This Life Course approach also can enhance the translation of efficacious interventions by ensuring that intervention strategies are appropriate for the age group targeted and address the associated individual or environmental barriers. Following this line of thought, we propose a two pronged approach that identifies the most relevant modifiable risk factors and the most appropriate interventions taking into account the life stage targeted. The LCMC will leverage existing multidisciplinary expertise and infrastructure to facilitate application of a life course perspective to new type II translational diabetes research. Einstein investigators and their collaborators have accumulated decades of expertise in diabetes research across the life span and are well positioned to contribute to the acceleration of translational research. The LCMC will provide conceptual and instrumental support regarding the design, and implementation of new type II translational diabetes research across the life span with the ultimate goal of decreasing the burden of diabetes and alleviating diabetes health disparities. The LCMC specific aims are: 1) To facilitate the application of the life course approach to the design of new type II translational diabetes research. LCMC provides consultation and technical support to clinical investigators in translational diabetes research that includes examining the interdependent factors that put individuals at risk of diabetes, with special emphasis in health disparities. We support research that identifies modifiable risk factors at critical vulnerable periods over the life span that could be used in the development of prevention and treatment interventions to reduce diabetes and its complications. 2) To optimize the implementation of new type II translational intervention research by providing expertise that will match methodologies to the specific life stage(s) targeted by the interventions. The LCMC provides a collaborative platform of investigators with expertise that ranges from early childhood to elderly population to assist investigators with the implementation of translational intervention research. 3) To provide infrastructure for the design and execution of type II translational diabetes research across the life span by providing resources for pilot data and for identification of study participants.