Metabolic Health Translational Team (MH TT)

This translational team is focused on addressing Type 2 Diabetes with solutions-oriented research.

Unhealthy lifestyles and health systems that do not provide sustainable health services are leading to an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes. The consequences of this epidemic on individuals’ short and long-term health, worker productivity, health care practice, and costs to the community and nation are enormous and rising rapidly. Although a few US states are faring relatively well, Arizona is not one of these. Nearly 30% of adults in Arizona are obese (over 1.2 million people), putting Arizona among the worst 16 states in the Nation. The Metabolic Health Translational Team seeks to address this growing epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders through solutions-oriented research that prepares students to create new solutions. The team engages with community partners to collaboratively implement programs that have a sustainable impact on the health and quality of life of Arizonans. Ongoing projects of our team include (a) workplace interventions to reduce sitting and increase physical activity to prevent metabolic disease; (b) needs assessments in collaboration with community partners to identify optimal diabetes prevention programs; and (c) quality improvement projects with clinical partners. The team welcomes new members that seek to address innovative and translational programs in metabolic health.