Touchstone Diabetes Center

The Touchstone Diabetes Center is devoted to the study of the cells and tissues that are either contributing to or are affected by diabetes and its related diseases. Research in the Touchstone Diabetes Center focuses on both basic and clinical aspects of Type I and Type II diabetes, and questions related to the impact of diabetes and obesity on cardiovascular disease outcome and cancer incidence.

The Touchstone Diabetes Center is part of a fully integrated research effort at UT Southwestern Medical Center in the area of metabolic research. Relevant partners in this effort are the Division of Hypothalamic Research, Center for Human Nutrition, the Taskforce for Obesity Research at UT Southwestern (TORS), the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, and the Simmons Cancer Center.

Our Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Core provides a full spectrum of services for the metabolic phenotyping of preclinical models and assay capabilities for clinical samples.

Focus Areas within the Touchstone Diabetes Center

  • Adipose tissue physiology: systemic impact of adipocyte-derived factors on insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular disease
  • Beta cell physiology: apoptotic and regenerative aspects of b-cell physiology
  • Impact of obesity on breast cancer incidence and progression
  • Regenerative aspects of tissues related to diabetic complications
  • Sexually dimorphic physiology of adipose tissue and the impact on sexually dimorphic disease susceptibility
  • Impact of sex hormones on energy metabolism

Faculty

Philipp Scherer, Ph.D.
Professor
Gifford O. Touchstone Jr. and Randolph G. Touchstone Distinguished Chair in Diabetes Research
Departments of Internal Medicine and Cell Biology
Director, Touchstone Diabetes Center

Aktar Ali, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Deborah J. Clegg, R.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center and Center for Human Nutrition

Ruth Gordillo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Dorothy Mundy, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Young Lee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

May-Yun Wang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Roger Unger, M.D.
Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Rana Gupta, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Jaime Davidson, M.D., F.A.C.P., M.A.C.E.
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Assistant Instructors

William Holland, Ph.D.
Instructor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Jiyoung Park, Ph.D.
Instructor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Kai Sun, Ph.D.
Instructor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Eva Ingrid Marie Wernstedt Asterholm, Ph.D.
Instructor
Touchstone Diabetes Center

Secondary Appointments in Touchstone Diabetes Center

Jay D. Horton, M.D.
Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics

Joel K. Elmquist D.V.M., Ph.D.
Professor
Maclin Family Distinguished Professor in Medical Science, in Honor of Dr. Roy A. Brinkley
Carl H. Westcott Distinguished Chair in Medical Research
Departments of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology
Director, Division of Hypothalamic Research

Joyce Repa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Physiology

Philip Raskin, M.D.
Professor
Department of Endocrinology