UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence Co-Director David Harlan Appointed Director of the JDRF Research Center in New England
Date Posted: Thursday, June 16, 2022
JDRF (now Breakthrough T1D) and UMass Chan Medical School announced the appointment of David M. Harlan, MD, the William and Doris Krupp Professor of Medicine and co-director of the UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence, as the new director of the JDRF (now Breakthrough T1D) Center of Excellence in New England.
“For many years, JDRF has supported the collaborative work of Dr. Harlan and his colleagues in the Greater New England area,” says Esther Latres, PhD, Breakthrough T1D Assistant Vice President of Research. “Under Dr. Harlan’s leadership, we anticipate continued progress toward a cure for type 1 diabetes using stem-cell derived beta cell and islet therapies.”
For more than 40 years, Dr. Harlan has researched the pathophysiology underlying diabetes. He also brings years of experience as an endocrinologist with expertise in diabetes and metabolism. A renowned basic and clinical investigator, his current research is focused on beta cell biology and the anti-beta cell immune response.
“For decades, clinician scientists like myself have been working to develop methods to safely interfere with the autoimmune response that targets the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas of people with type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Harlan. “Our group is working to genetically modify the beta cells to make them invulnerable to the immune system when infused into a person with type 1 diabetes.”
The New England Center of Excellence is part of a growing global network of research centers aimed at accelerating science in curing T1D and improving lives. Organized as a cross-institutional collaboration between leading experts from the UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center and the Jackson Laboratory, the New England Center focuses on exploring immune responses and applying cell engineering technologies to prevent rejection of functional islets by the immune system in the absence of immune suppression.
“We’re testing these human cells in vivo in our unique biological models,” added Dr. Harlan. “The goal is to provide an islet cell replacement therapy that eliminates the need for immunosuppressant drugs with their inherent toxicities.”
Dr. Harlan began leading the team of scientists after Dr. Douglas Melton stepped down to join Vertex Pharmaceuticals as a Distinguished Fellow.
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