International consortium is a leader in research to prevent type 1 diabetes
Carla J. Greenbaum, MD, has been named chair of Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded clinical trial network for type 1 diabetes prevention and early treatment. Dr. Greenbaum is Director of the Diabetes Research Program and Clinical Research Center at Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI) in Seattle. She succeeds Jay Skyler, MD, Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. In addition to the NIH, TrialNet is supported by JDRF and the American Diabetes Association.
Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet is an international consortium dedicated to finding ways to prevent, delay and slow progression of the disease. TrialNet is conducting clinical trials with researchers from 17 clinical centers in the United States and six internationally. An additional 200 affiliated research sites are participating in the TrialNet network. Studies are available for people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, as well as for relatives of people with type 1 diabetes who are at greater risk of developing the disease. Those at risk can participate in studies offering close monitoring or prevention trials testing interventions designed to interrupt the disease process.
Dr. Greenbaum is internationally recognized as a leader in translating basic science into clinical trials to prevent or intervene with the diabetes autoimmune process. She is well known as an expert in designing research protocols for individuals with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a growing medical problem, profoundly impacting children and adults with disease and their families, and Dr. Greenbaum’s work has had major impact in testing new approaches for early diagnosis and therapy.
“This is an exciting time for TrialNet as we progress into a new era,” says Dr. Greenbaum. “We are moving to where we intervene in the disease process prior to and during diagnosis. Thanks to the leadership of Jay Skyler and the collaboration of the entire network, TrialNet has tremendous strengths. Most noteworthy are the number of top-ranked research institutions involved, the engagement of many worldwide type 1 diabetes experts and the high retention rates of its clinical research participants. Type 1 diabetes is a complex, devastating disease that needs to be managed 24/7, and we want to do everything possible to prevent and eventually eliminate it.”
Dr. Greenbaum has held TrialNet leadership positions since the network’s inception in 2001. She directs the TrialNet Clinical Network Hub and is the principal investigator of the TrialNet Northwest Clinical Center. She leads the operations center for the T1D Exchange Living Biobank, a national consortium sponsored by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. She serves on the Scientific Review Committee of the NIH-sponsored Immune Tolerance Network and multiple other national and international advisory panels.
Dr. Greenbaum received her medical degree at Brown University and completed a fellowship in research endocrinology at the University of Washington, where she continues as clinical faculty. She has authored numerous scientific publications, abstracts, editorials and reviews, and is a frequent speaker at national and international meetings and conferences.
