Chief of diabetes and endocrinology at Grady Memorial Hospital
Professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, and metabolism at Emory University School of Medicine
Biography
Dr. Umpierrez was honored to serve as the lead mentor for Dr. Priyathama Vellanki. Dr. Vellanki studies sex-specific and non sex-specific association between insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function and epigenetic mechanisms in African Americans with ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes (KPDM). Dr. Ummpierrez's laboratory has had a long interest in the field describing their clinical presentation, immunologic and metabolic features, and prevention of hyperglycemia recurrence in this important subtype of diabetes. While their group and many others have reported on the male to female predominance of KPDM, no studies have explored sex differences. Dr. Vellanki’s BIRCWH proposal will be one of the first to explore the sex differences underlying mechanisms of insulin sensitivity and secretion in this population. Dr. Umpierrez is a clinician scientist with extensive experience in conducting clinical and population research in diabetes. His research interests include mechanisms for beta-cell dysfunction in African Americans with diabetes, prevention of diabetic complications, and in the management of inpatient hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). He has served as the Director of the Grady Hospital Research Unit for the past 7 years. In this position, he supervises the clinical operation and supports researchers in conducting clinical research. He has served as the principal investigator in several landmark clinical trials in the hospital management of diabetes in critical and noncritical care setting. His contribution to clinical research and diabetes has been recognized by major societies where he serves as a member of the guideline committees for the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and also serve as the chairman of the Endocrine Society Guideline Committee on diabetes.
Dr. Umpierrez has a passion for education and has mentored over 40 residents/post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty members. His education and mentoring activities has been recognized with 16 teaching and mentoring awards at Emory University, the American College of Physicians, the AACE, and the American Diabetes Association. He is a Council At-Large of the Endocrine Society and member of AACE Scientific Council. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the BMJ Diabetes Research & Care and the ADA reference book.