# Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes through Diet and Metabolomics

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2021 · $73,249

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Type 2 diabetes affects 1 in every 11 adults in the United States, and is a leading cause of death. High quality
dietary intake is independently and strongly associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The metabolic
processes connecting dietary intake and diabetes, however, remain unclear. Understanding these biological
processes between dietary intake and diabetes can help to establish new and effective individualized targets
for treatment and prevention. The expression of compounds related to metabolism and cellular processes is
called metabolomics. The objective of this proposal is to determine the identity of metabolites associated with a
low-diabetes-risk dietary pattern, to investigate the association of these metabolites with incident diabetes, and
the causal pathways related to the action of these metabolites, and to examine changes in the levels of these
metabolites in a pilot dietary intervention with a low-diabetes-risk food. Aim 1 will use data and biospecimens
from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living
in America (MASALA) study and the Rotterdam Study (RS) to determine the association of a low-diabetes-risk
dietary pattern with known and novel metabolites. We will validate newly discovered metabolites within the
Airwave cohort. Aim 2 associates these newly identified metabolites with incident diabetes and examines the
extent to which they mediate the relationship between diet and diabetes. It also places the metabolites within a
biological context using network analysis techniques. Aim 3 uses data and biospecimens from an existing pilot
trial of a short-term walnut supplement in individuals with prediabetes to evaluate changes in metabolites with
the intervention.
The candidate for this Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, Dr. Meghana Gadgil,
is a General Internist and an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University
of California, San Francisco. Dr. Gadgil is a physician-investigator with a strong background in nutrition and
diabetes. In this proposal, she will examine novel associations between dietary intake, metabolite expression
and type 2 diabetes incidence. This work will serve as the foundation for her overarching career goal: to
become an independent clinical investigator focused on prevention of diabetes in high-risk populations through
the use of dietary interventions. Dr. Gadgil will commit to structured didactic training and mentored research
experience in the areas of 1) techniques for metabolomic analysis and interpretation; 2) training in network and
pathway analysis; 3) clinical trial design and management; and 4) career development skills.
This study is relevant and timely, as the incidence of both diabetes and its risk factors continues to rise, and
personalized dietary strategies for prevention are few. The proposed investigations will contribute
understanding, new kno...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10450899
- **Project number:** 3K23DK119404-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** MEGHANA DIPTI GADGIL
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $73,249
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2023-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10450899

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10450899, Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes through Diet and Metabolomics (3K23DK119404-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10450899. Licensed CC0.

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