Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Training in Diabetes Research Program

Diabetes is a debilitating and burdensome public health problem that has reached epidemic proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it affects an estimated 30.3 million men, women, and children (9.4% of the total population) in the U.S. alone, resulting in healthcare costs estimated at $245 billion annually. Patients with this and other related metabolic disorders are burdened with devastating quality of life and health consequences, making the need for proper disease management paramount.

When left untreated or uncontrolled, this silent epidemic has serious effects on body parts resulting in blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, lower limb amputation, or even premature death. To advance the prevention and treatment of diabetes, there is an urgent need for innovative therapeutics and technologies as well as a cadre of future scientists who can engineer devices and therapeutics and translate research to clinical care. The Indiana Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Training for Diabetes Research (BTDR) program was conceived to meet this need through the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Indiana University School of Medicine.

This elite program provides cross-disciplinary, integrated research training to develop pre-doctoral students into bioengineers capable of leading integrative and team-based approaches to address needs and problems associated with diabetes and metabolic diseases.

Students entering the program typically have a background in one or more of the following disciplines: engineering, physical sciences, computational sciences, analytical chemistry, pharmacology, physiology, and endocrinology. They also have strong research backgrounds and a commitment to innovative technology development and diabetes related research.