Members Featured (a-z): Dan Amante, Ana Maria Arbelaez, Sue Boren, Lauren Fiechtner, Debra Haire-Joshu, Tamara Hershey, Maura Kepper, Min Soon Kim, Sarah Moreland-Russell, Julia Price, MK Ray, Eduardo Simoes
WU-CDTR in the News
PAR-25-379: Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (Links to an external site)
PAS-25-102: Small R01s for Clinical Trials Targeting Diseases within the Mission of NIDDK (R01 Clinical Trial Required) (Links to an external site)
WU-CDTR Member leads food access study, revealing 2 million food-insecure adults in Massachusetts (Links to an external site)

Mass General Brigham and The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) released the annual statewide food access report, Food Access in Massachusetts: The Cost of Hunger. The study was led by WU-CDTR Member, Lauren Fiechtner, MD.
WashU Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM) Cultivate Grants Fund

As part of its mission to promote research at the intersection of agriculture, health and technology, the Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM) at WashU School of Public Health has established the FARM Cultivate Grants Fund. The fund supports research into practical, scalable innovations that contribute to sustainable transformation of agricultural and food systems and improved public […]
Call for Applications: WashU KL2 Career Development Awards Program

The WashU Clinical Research Training Center (CRTC) is currently seeking applications for the KL2 Career Development Awards Program, aimed at incoming or current junior faculty at WashU and ICTS partner institutions interested in clinical and translational research. This program provides financial support and infrastructure allowing scholars protected time to perform research and engage in formal […]
Call for Abstracts: 18th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health
AcademyHealth and the National Institutes of Health are once again convening the growing dissemination and implementation (D&I) science community for the 18th Annual Conference on the Science of D&I in Health. This year’s conference theme is “Realizing the Benefits of D&I Science.” Abstract Deadline: Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET
WU-CDTR at the 85th ADA Scientific Sessions

The 85th Scientific Sessions, hosted by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), will be held June 20-23, 2025 in Chicago, IL. Leading physicians, scientists, and health care professionals from around the world are expected to participate in the Scientific Sessions to unveil cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations, and advances toward a cure for diabetes. WU-CDTR Members are […]
WashU Public Health Ideas with Debra Haire-Joshu (Links to an external site)

Dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, talks with Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, associate dean for faculty affairs, the Joyce and Chauncy Buchheit Professor in Public Health and WU-CDTR Director, about the paper she co-authored in Health Services Research.
Announcing the WU-CDTR 2024-2025 Pilot & Feasibility Awardees
The Washington University Center for Diabetes Translation Research is thrilled to announce this year’s distinguished pilot and feasibility award recipients. In line with the Center’s mission to support groundbreaking advancements in the translation of diabetes research, we are honored to support the growth and development of these exceptionally talented investigators. WU-CDTR Pilot Awardees Melanie Bryan, […]
WashU Public Health Ideas with Maura Kepper (Links to an external site)

Dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, talks with Maura Kepper, PhD, an Assistant Professor and WU-CDTR Member, about a paper she co-authored, “Multilevel factors influence the use of a cardiovascular disease assessment tool embedded in the electronichealth record in oncology care.”
Public Health Ideas with Douglas Luke (Links to an external site)

Dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, talks with Douglas Luke, PhD, a Distinguished Professor in Public Health Systems Science at WashU and WU-CDTR Member, about a paper he co-authored, “Bridges and Mechanisms: Integrating Systems Science Thinking into Implementation Research.”
WashU Public Health Ideas with Sarah Moreland-Russell (Links to an external site)

Dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, talks with Sarah Moreland-Russell, PhD, an Associate Professor of Practice and WU-CDTR Member, about a paper she co-authored, “Action planning for building public health program sustainability: results from a group-randomized trial.”
Researchers to study health impact of changes to school lunch, breakfast programs (Links to an external site)

Sarah Moreland-Russell, an associate professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, has received a four-year $2.65 million federal grant to understand how schools respond to changes in policy guiding school lunch and breakfast programs and how those responses affect health.
WashU Public Health Ideas with Lora Iannotti (Links to an external site)

Dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, talks with Lora Iannotti, a professor and WU-CDTR Member, about a paper she co-authored, “Wild Foods Are Positively Associated with Diet Diversity and Child Growth in a Protected Forest Area of Madagascar.”
WashU Public Health Ideas with Ross Brownson (Links to an external site)

Dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, talks with Ross Brownson, a professor and WU-CDTR Associate Director, about a paper Brownson co-authored, “Understanding Misimplementation in U.S. State Health Departments: An Agent-Based Model.”
Halting hidden hunger (Links to an external site)

Can improved nutrition during pregnancy help prevent stunted growth in children around the world? With partners in Ecuador, WU-CDTR Member, Dr. Lora Iannotti studies the effects of maternal diet through the Mikhuna project.
Membership Research Highlight (September 2024) (Links to an external site)
Members Featured (a-z): Tiffany Eaton, Amy Eyler, Maura Kepper, Shiriki Kumanyika, Diana Parra Perez, Carmen Samuel-Hodge, Denise Wilfley
NIH awards grant to a group of researchers led by Samuel-Hodge to optimize a family-based weight loss intervention for Black adults (Links to an external site)

Drs. Carmen Samuel-Hodge [WU-CDTR Member], Candice L. Alick (UNC), and Shiriki Kumanyika (UPenn) [WU-CDTR Member] will continue their work promoting healthy lifestyles among Black families. This study will optimize a behavioral weight loss intervention for Black adult family pairs or dyads.
ADA: Innovative Research to Improve the Lives of Older Adults Living with Diabetes: Call for Applications (Links to an external site)
This call for applications aims to attract outstanding researchers interested in addressing the complex relationship between aging and diabetes.
ADA: Innovative Research for Enhanced Diabetes Prevention and Care in Primary Care Settings: Call for Applications (Links to an external site)
This RFA aims to attract outstanding researchers interested in improving diabetes care within the primary health care setting.
NOT-DK-24-031: Availability of Administrative Supplements to Broaden the NIDDK Clinical Research Workforce (Links to an external site)
This administrative supplement is designed to broaden the clinical research workforce with a specific focus on research coordinators. The supplement will provide funds to hire, train and support clinical research coordinators for up to two years to improve the outreach, recruitment, and community engagement of NIDDK clinical research studies, leading to more transformative research.
A call for equity in digital health tool design (Links to an external site)

WU-CDTR Member, Maura Kepper, an assistant professor within the Prevention Research Center at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, is working to ensure that digital health tools serve all populations effectively, particularly the historically marginalized.
Member Research Highlights (August 2024) (Links to an external site)
Members Featured (a-z): Ana María Arbeláez, Amy Braddock, Ross Brownson, Leo Cabassa, Paulina Cruz Bravo, Amy Eyler, Tamara Hershey, Richelle Koopman, Mary Katherine Ray, Deborah Salvo
Request for Applications: WU-CDTR Pilot and Feasibility Program

The 2024 CDTR Pilot & Feasibility Application Cycle is Now Open Purpose: The purpose of this program is to promote innovative and transformative research, by investigators new to the field, to advance health equity in diabetes. The pilot and feasibility program focuses on T2-T4 translational research defined as ‘translating interventions and approaches that have demonstrated […]
Understanding the sudden rise of type 2 diabetes in children | Knowable Magazine (Links to an external site)

WU-CDTR Member, Dr. Paulina Cruz-Bravo is featured in this story, which is part of Knowable Magazine’s Spanish-language series on science that affects or is conducted by Latinos in the United States.
Membership Research Highlights (July 2024) (Links to an external site)
Members Featured (a-z): Ruopeng An, Ross Brownson, Randi Foraker, Cynthia Herrick, Maura Kepper, Jing Li, Gabriella McLoughlin, Marie Aline Silice, Niko Verdecias-Pellum
Membership Research Highlights (June 2024) (Links to an external site)
Members Featured (a-z): Ruopeng An, Amy Braddock, Ross Brownson, Amy Eyler, Sarah Farabi, Debra Haire-Joshu, Richelle Koopman, Shiriki Kumanyika, Julia Lopez, Gabriella McLoughlin, MK Ray, Deborah Salvo, and Rachel Tabak
Time-Sensitive Obesity Policy and Program Evaluation (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (Links to an external site)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) establishes an accelerated review/award process to support time-sensitive research to evaluate a new policy or program that is likely to influence obesity related behaviors (e.g., dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and/or sleep) and/or weight outcomes in an effort to prevent or reduce obesity.
Scholars Say Implementation Science Training Boosted Their Careers (Links to an external site)

WU-CDTR members, Drs. Niko Verdecias-Pellum and Gabriella McLoughlin highlight the impacts of the Institute for Implementation Science Scholars (IS-2).
Podcast: Ross Brownson on The Path to Public Health Transformation (Links to an external site)

Health Affairs‘ Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil interviews WU-CDTR Associate Director, Dr. Ross Brownson of Washington University on his recent paper that details the path towards a transformed public health system and how a focus on social determinants of health and partnerships with diverse sectors can help overcome challenges in the current system.
WU-CDTR at the 84th ADA Scientific Sessions

The 83rd Scientific Sessions, hosted by the American Diabetes Association, will be hosted June 21-24 in Orlando, FL. As the world’s largest meeting on diabetes, the Scientific Sessions is both a leading educational gathering and a unique opportunity to network with colleagues from over 115 countries. Exciting new clinical trial data on novel incretins are […]
Prescription program for fruits, vegetables could help improve community’s health (Links to an external site)

NutriConnect, led by WU-CDTR Member Jing Li, MD, DrPH, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will compare the effectiveness of two produce prescription approaches for encouraging healthy eating and addressing food insecurity.
Job Announcement: NIDDK Program Director for Clinical Research in Diabetes (Links to an external site)
Announcing the WU-CDTR 2023-2024 Pilot & Feasibility Awardees
The Washington University Center for Diabetes Translation Research is thrilled to announce this year’s distinguished pilot and feasibility award recipients. In line with the Center’s mission to support groundbreaking advancements in the translation of diabetes research, we are honored to support the growth and development of these exceptionally talented early-stage investigators. WU-CDTR Pilot Awardees Samuel […]
WU-CDTR launches AI Core, lead by Dr. Ruopeng An
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science within the realm of diabetes research heralds a new era of innovation and precision. The WU-CDTR recognizes the transformative potential of AI technologies in advancing our understanding, preventing, and treatment of diabetes. In response, we are proud to launch the AI and Data Science Core (AI […]
UK researcher featured on cover of American Diabetes Association’s annual report (Links to an external site)
WU-CDTR Member, Dr. Brittany Smalls, Ph.D., (top left) of the University of Kentucky is featured as the cover story for the American Diabetes Association’s 2023 Annual Report.
Planting and cultivating seeds through connection (Links to an external site)

In her work with local organizations to promote health and wellness in the St. Louis region, WU-CDTR Member, Diana Parra Perez sees the power of solidarity.
Call for potential mentors! – WashU NIDDK STEP-UP program
On behalf of Ana Maria Arbelaez, MD, MSCI, Dominic Reeds,MD and Rita Brookheart,PhD, — Mentors needed! We invite you to serve as a potential mentor for the Short Term Research Experience to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP) Program! Sponsored by the NIDDK and under the direction of WashU clinician-researchers, the STEP-UP program introduces young investigators under-represented in medicine (URiM) to medical research related to […]
New Online Toolkit Helps Researchers and Practitioners Develop Equity-Oriented Obesity Prevention Strategies
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 2, 2024) — Leslie J. Ansley, Director of Marketing and Communications, Council on Black Health The Council on Black Health is excited to announce the launch of our Getting to Equity in Obesity Prevention Toolkit (GTE Toolkit). This “how-to” toolkit stresses equity thinking in planning health research, policies, and programs. The toolkit is […]
Announcing the Manuscript Development Guide: Streamline Your Research Publication Process!
The Manuscript Development Guide (MDG) is an exciting new resource designed to simplify and optimize the manuscript development process for faculty researchers. Streamline Your Manuscript Development: Discover a hassle-free way to develop your research manuscripts with the Manuscript Development Guide Try the Manuscript Development Guide Today: How to navigate the MDG The MDG is structured […]
CRTC Workshop: D&I Research – An Introduction Workshop for Investigators
Learn the fundamentals of Dissemination & Implementation (D&I) in a way that works for you. Join the Center for Dissemination and Implementation, with the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS), in their annual Introduction to D&I workshop. This two-day workshop is constructed for emerging investigators in the D&I space to gain introductory knowledge and […]
Q&A with Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika
Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD, MPH Research Professor, Department of Community Health and Prevention Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health Founding Chair, the Council on Black Health Core Lead, Solutions to Diabetes in Black Americans Core Q: Tell me a bit about yourself and your background. A: I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and then attended […]
Applications Open: 2024 Systems Science for Social Impact – Summer Training Institute
Applications are open for the 5th annual Systems Science for Social Impact (SSSI) Summer Training Institute, to be held from August 12 – 16, 2024 at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. In this five-day training, participants will get a hands-on introduction to systems science methods with a focus on five main tracks: Intro to […]
Call for Abstracts: 6th Annual ICTS Symposium and Poster Display
Call for Poster Abstracts Posters will be displayed electronically on the ICTS website beginning April 19, 2024 (note, there is no synchronous poster session in conjunction with the symposium). Posters will be eligible for three $500 prizes selected by a panel of ICTS faculty based upon scientific merit and impact on human health. Poster winners […]
“D&I Day” offers insights, reflections and forward momentum in implementation science (Links to an external site)
More than 70 students, staff and faculty from across WashU’s implementation science community recently convened for the university’s annual “D&I Day”, held at Delmar Divine. The goal of the daylong event was to build community and shared learning, critically analyze important issues in dissemination and implementation, and to offer tangible steps to create change within […]
Q&A with Dr. Rachel Tabak
Rachel Tabak, PhD Associate Professor Washington University in St. Louis Q: Tell us about yourself and your background. I have my background training in nutrition intervention and policy and epidemiology from the Gilling’s School of Global Public Health at UNC. I came to Washington University at the end of my PhD to start post doc […]
Call for Papers: Diabetic Complications in Cardiovascular Health
The editorial team of the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology invites submission of Research Articles, Short Reports, Methods and Resources, Perspectives, and Reviews related to diabetic complications in cardiovascular health. This Call for Papers is spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Merry Lindsey, Associate Editor Dr. Jonathan Kirk, and Guest Editors Dr. Dinender Singla, Dr. Paras Mishra, […]
Registration is now open for the 2024 Cambridge Diabetes Seminar
When: Sunday, August 18th to Saturday, August 24th, 2024 Where: Clare College, University of Cambridge Cost: No registration fee, no attendance fee; no accommodation fee Closing date for applications: Monday 4 March 2024 How to apply: Click here for full information about CDS 2024 and how to apply About Cambridge Diabetes Seminar 2024The Cambridge Diabetes […]
Culturally Sensitive Healthcare: Insights and Recommendations from Indigenous Patient Experiences
Patient experiences with their healthcare provider can have a significant impact on their view of all healthcare services. Factors such as the quality of care delivered, administrative practices, and underlying biases in physician training can all shape a patient’s experience with healthcare services. For Indigenous patients, a history of policies that forced assimilation and cultural […]