# Physiologic stress and sexual orientation disparities in risk for type 2 diabetes among women

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST · 2020 · $154,143

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This is an application for a K01 Career Development Award for Dr. Nicole VanKim, an Assistant Professor at
the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. VanKim has her PhD in social and behavioral epidemiology from
the University of Minnesota, where she developed expertise in sexual orientation disparities in weight-related
behaviors, such as physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and eating habits. Her long-term career goal is to
reduce chronic disease disparities and improve the health of sexual minority women by identifying
biopsychoscial pathways that contribute to sexual orientation disparities in diseases including type 2 diabetes.
Building on her previous experience, training components focus on a combination of formal and informal
coursework in molecular epidemiology, biomarker collection and analysis, biology, pathophysiology,
physiology, endocrinology, and metabolism as well as activities to integrate acquired knowledge into
understanding of sexual minority health and risk for type 2 diabetes. The mentorship team, is comprised of
leading experts in different aspects of molecular and biomarker epidemiology, allostatic load, physiology,
endocrinology, and women’s health. The proposed research aims will explore behavioral, psychosocial, and
other health factors that contribute to allostatic load as well as assess sexual orientation disparities in allostatic
load and the role of allostatic load in the relationship between sexual orientation and type 2 diabetes risk
(including insulin resistance and incident disease) among women. Data from two study populations will be
used: longitudinal data from women in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort and women who will be recruited to
participate in a new data collection study. Findings from the proposed research will inform the development of
future research on stress pathways that contribute to sexual orientation disparities as well as inform evidence-
based public health efforts and effectively targeted intervention strategies to reduce type 2 diabetes risk among
sexual minority women.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10054348
- **Project number:** 1K01DK123193-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
- **Principal Investigator:** Nicole A VanKim
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $154,143
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10054348

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10054348, Physiologic stress and sexual orientation disparities in risk for type 2 diabetes among women (1K01DK123193-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10054348. Licensed CC0.

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