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Diabetes Institute

Darlene Berryman, Ph.D., director of the Diabetes Institute

Since 2007, Ohio University has been working to stimulate
collaborative research efforts across colleges and disciplines. Most recently,
the college and university partners formed the Diabetes Institute, the first
initiative of the university’s Health Sciences Center, which brings together
the many diabetes-related research initiatives in an effort to better
address one of the most critical health care issues facing Americans.

“The Diabetes Institute is a culmination of the last 10 years of
progress that we’ve made. When I came here in 2003 there was no
clinical program, and there was very scattered diabetes research. Yet
over the last nine years we’ve jelled into a fairly significant clinical care
center and diabetes education center,” said Frank Schwartz, M.D.,
professor of endocrinology. “Now through the Diabetes Institute we
have a cross-campus collection of collaborators who are involved in all
aspects of diabetes, from psycho-social to molecular biology.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one in
three Americans born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes. Although the
incidence in Ohio is higher than in the rest of the nation at 9.5 percent, it
is higher yet—at 11.5 percent—in southeastern Appalachian Ohio.

“It is really exciting to be involved in diabetes in any capacity at OU
right now because we have had all these initiatives—in research, in clinical
services and in our educational program. Now we have the ability to bring
them all together under one unit so that we can really collaborate better,”
said Darlene Berryman, Ph.D., newly appointed director of the Diabetes
Institute. “We have the capacity to build in almost all those areas by
bringing people together. It is a really unusual opportunity.”

Besides connecting existing researchers, the Institute will help staff
existing programs and identify areas of strength and opportunities
for development in diabetes research, clinical care, education and
community outreach. Leadership and communication channels are in
place for each area.

“We had all these pockets happening,” said Dr. Berryman. “We
communicated in many ways, but not as effectively as I hope we will
as an institute.”

Funding for the Diabetes Institute came in part from the
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift, which also funded two new
diabetes chairs. One of the chairs was named in January 2012. Called
the John J. Kopchick, Ph.D., Osteopathic Heritage Foundation
Eminent Research Chair, the name recognizes the world renowned
endocrinologist and his contributions to the college, the university and
the medical profession. A pre-eminent scientist will soon fill this chair,
helping to attract new avenues of research—and researchers—to the
institute. The gift will also help fund a new diabetes clinical care and
research center, one that will include diabetologists, endocrinologists and
other specialists who treat diabetes-related complications.

“The institute is recognition of the momentum and gravitas of
the people that we have assembled here working together,” said Dr.
Schwartz, who is also the J.O. Watson Chair for Diabetes Research
and director of University Medical Associates Diabetes/Endocrine
Center. “The combination of being named an institute and having the
endowment gives us the resources and institutional recognition to
continue to grow at an exponential rate.”

Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute