Imagine Life Without Type 1 Diabetes

A world without T1D is close, and your funding can help fund research that will pave the way to achieving this.

Our Research For Scientists

Every Donation Brings Us Closer to a Cure

Diabetes isn't something that should follow us into the 22nd century. Your donations can help make this a reality, it's time to cure T1D.

Our Research For Scientists

Together, We Can Conquer Type 1 Diabetes

With your support, we're not just researching a cure; we're building a community of hope, love, and resilience, moving together towards a day when Type 1 Diabetes is a thing of the past.

Our Research For Scientists

A world without T1D is close, and your funding can help fund research that will pave the way to achieving this.

Our Research For Scientists

Imagine Life Without Type 1 Diabetes

Every Donation Brings Us Closer to a Cure

Diabetes isn't something that should follow us into the 22nd century. Your donations can help make this a reality, it's time to cure T1D.

Our Research For Scientists

Explore Diabetes Research Connection’s 2025 Annual Report.

See the momentum created by donor support, from groundbreaking research and human clinical trials to the lives impacted by early-stage T1D innovation. Inside, you’ll discover the researchers, stories, and progress driving us closer to better treatments and a cure.

Click to View

Our Projects

See our approved research projects and campaigns.

Project #60: GPER, inflammation and diabetic kidney disease

6 Month Update The goal of our pilot project is to identify the role that the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) plays in the development and progression of kidney disease […]

Project #59: Determine the role of viral infections and viral-insulin carrying viruses in T1D pathogenesis

6 Month Update Aim 1. Determine the viral infection history of T1D patients compared to healthy controls. Methods: We designed 15,000 oligonucleotides covering all 6 of the insulin carrying viruses and […]

Project #62: LGR4-ECD: A potential therapeutic for type 1 diabetes-related beta cell stress

6 Month Update Our studies have identified a novel pathway consisting of two receptors, LGR4 (Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 4), a positive, and RANK (Receptor Activator of NFκB), a negative regulator, whose […]

Project #63: The role of PD-L1 in beta cell extracellular vesicles in type-1 diabetes

6 Month Update The primary objective of this DRC-funded project is to investigate the role of PD-L1 molecules in beta cells under stress conditions, hypothesizing that they may increase to […]

Project # 64: aE-catenin: Gatekeeper of Endocrine cell proliferation & ß-cell Regeneration

Project Description Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β-cells while leaving behind other pancreatic islet cell types. Over the past decade, research has demonstrated […]

Project #67: Identifying an autoreactive B-cell signature in at-risk T1D individuals

Project Description The immune system, which normally protects us from infection, can improperly attack the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreatic islets, which leads to type 1 diabetes (T1D). Often, […]

Project #66: Investigating the role of risk locus BACH2 rs72928038 in limiting adaptive immune repertoire diversity and promoting effector memory phen …

Project Description Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease which involves both environmental and genetic drivers. It is thought that genetic mutations that contribute to T1D impact the function of […]

Project #68: Direct reprogramming pancreatic ductal cells into insulin-producing cells by controlling the epigenome using AI-designed mini-protein Epi …

Project Description In Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, leaving the body unable to regulate blood sugar levels properly. […]

Project #70: Combined inhibition of RANKL/RANK and DYRK1A pathways for T1D therapy

Project Description Type 1 diabetes (T1D) occurs due to a loss of insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. The hormone insulin regulates blood glucose levels which is vital for […]

Project #69: Role of miR-192 in the derivation of pancreatic islet tissue from pluripotent stem cells

Project Description Stem cells offer new hopes for cell replacement therapies to cure Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease causing the loss of insulin-producing b-cells. Yet, despite promising results from […]

Pioneering Breakthroughs in Diabetes Research

Diabetes Research Connection (DRC), are making a significant impact in the fight against diabetes. Each year, countless individuals and their families face the challenging diagnosis of diabetes. Our efforts are dedicated to supporting these communities through groundbreaking research and innovative solutions, aiming to transform the way diabetes is understood.

Read Story

Lauren and Kyra

Lauren and Kyra

Meet Lauren and her older sister, Kyra. Lauren has been part of DRC for four years and has navigated Type 1 Diabetes since the age of six.

Reflecting on her childhood, Lauren shares, “When I was five years old, I completely lost my appetite and refused to eat anything for over a week. I was drinking orange juice and water by the gallon, and I was constantly exhausted.

My parents initially thought I had a bad case of the flu. Then I began to lose weight rapidly. My body became just skin and bones, and my parents realized it was more serious.”

Recalling a pivotal moment, Lauren adds, “When I refused to even taste my own birthday cake at my sixth birthday party, my mom took me to the emergency room. After hearing my symptoms, the doctor immediately checked my blood sugar levels, which were over 900. I was hours from going into a coma. I am so fortunate to have been diagnosed before it was too late. It is incredibly important to be aware of the signs so that Type 1 Diabetes can be caught as early as possible.”

Kyra, Lauren’s sister, was diagnosed at 13, four years after Lauren. She shares her experience, stating, “I specifically remember being extra thirsty and feeling as though no amount of water could quench my thirst. Subsequently, I was peeing way more than normal. I realized pretty quickly what was going on, so I stole my little sister’s glucose monitor and checked my blood sugar. Sure enough, I saw ‘320’ flash across the screen and knew this meant I had T1D too.”

Kyra also emphasizes, “Being a medical student living with Type 1 Diabetes, DRC holds personal significance to me as it highlights the vital role of early-career scientists. By uniting these emerging researchers with donors, DRC encourages the next generation of scientific leaders to drive innovation and breakthroughs in diabetes research.”

Read Story

Allison and Mac

Allison and Mac

Imagine facing each day with the weight of a life-threatening and unrelenting medical condition. Allison knows the reality of this all too well. Both she and her sister, Marianne have lived with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) since childhood and, just recently, her 4-year-old son, Mac, was also diagnosed with T1D – a day she describes as “the worst day of my life.” Allison felt a deep sense of sadness, knowing the daily burdens of T1D that Mac would now face.

“Type 1 Diabetes is completely exhausting,” Allison shares. “While treatments have come a long way, with incredible advancements like the CGM and integrated pump, we still carry the burden of this disease.”

Like Allison and her family, millions of others worldwide hope for the day when the burdens of T1D no longer exist. DRC shares that hope and remains committed to funding the most promising T1D researchers across the country who are tirelessly working toward a cure.

Be the first to know about T1D news, join the DRC family!

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WHY YOUR DONATION MATTERS

Your support helps fund innovative early-career T1D research with the potential to change lives.

The 1.6 million statistic is out of date. We can change this to: “Currently 2.1 million Americans live with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), including 300,000 children. Approximately 64,000 new patients are diagnosed each year. With your backing, we can drive innovation and advancements to find a cure.”

Learn More About DRC

HOW IT WORKS

Scientists from across the country submit their projects through our website.

The time from application to funding can be as short as six months, compared to over a year for other funding agencies. Additionally, 100% of our research funds go directly to the scientists to ensure transparency.

Learn More About DRC

DRC has distributed approximately
$4.1M in research seed-funding | $79M in research
follow-on funding

Donor-Driven, Peer-Reviewed, Innovative Diabetes Research

Submit A Project

Advancing understanding through DRC

Diabetes Research Connection is at the forefront of funding groundbreaking diabetes research aimed at discovering innovative treatments, therapies, and eventually a cure.

A few words from our supporters

Melanie Shapiro

Can the Inhibition of One Specific Body Gene Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?

Dr J. Dwyer

Skip navigation Search Create 9+ Avatar image Taming a Particularly Lethal Category of Cells May Reduce/Eliminate the Onset of T1D

Dr. Leonardo Ferreira

A Potential Second Cure for T1D by Re-Educating the Patient’s Immune System

Dr. Ann Kahkost

Stakeholder-Engaged Precision Health for Longevity and Healthy Aging with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

Dr. Han Zhu's Project

Dr. Sandra Mara

Ferreira's Project

News

“She Beeps, and That’s OK”: Author Danakelly Hampton on Confidence, Community, and Living with Type 1 Diabetes

For children living with Type 1 diabetes, medical devices like insulin pumps and glucose monitors can sometimes feel like an unwanted spotlight—especially when they beep in the middle of class […]

March 20, 2026

Orchestrating Hope: Alisa Weilerstein on Living with Type 1 Diabetes

May 18, 2026

Building Comfort into Chronic T1D Care

February 24, 2026

T1D: Back to Basics

February 19, 2026

A Partner’s Guide to Loving Someone with Type 1 Diabetes

February 12, 2026

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