Our vision
A future in which everyone can benefit from advances in diabetes prevention and care.
GCDTR works toward healthier lives, fewer avoidable complications, and more effective care across communities and across the life course.
About the GCDTR
Since its establishment in 2016, the Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research (GCDTR), led by Emory University in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia Tech, and regional institutions, has advanced innovative, collaborative research to improve diabetes prevention, treatment, and care. Supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under grant number P30 DK111024
Our purpose
Turning diabetes research into better health
Our work is centered on helping more people benefit from effective diabetes prevention, care, and policy—especially where gaps in access and outcomes remain.
Our mission
Move effective ideas into real-world practice.
We connect researchers, communities, clinicians, health systems, and technology partners to develop, test, and spread approaches that improve diabetes prevention and care.
From evidence → adoption → better outcomes2026–2031 strategic areas
Four strategic areas advancing diabetes translation
The renewal focuses innovation on rural health, diabetes across the lifecourse, precision diabetes, and AI and other technological innovations.
Rural health
Advance diabetes prevention and care in rural communities
Develop and test approaches that strengthen prevention and care in rural settings, while addressing distance, access, workforce, and local resources.
Lifecourse
Improve diabetes care across the lifecourse
Study prevention, care, and outcomes across life stages, from childhood through older adulthood, with attention to changing needs and inequities.
Precision diabetes
Extend the reach and impact of precision diabetes
Use data, context, and individual variation to identify which approaches work best, for whom, under what conditions, and in which settings.
AI & technology
Use AI and technology to strengthen diabetes prevention and care
Evaluate responsible, accessible AI and diabetes technologies that can improve care delivery, clinical decisions, engagement, and real-world implementation.
From research to impact
How GCDTR moves research toward real-world impact
The Center supports a connected process that begins with real needs and continues through implementation, adoption, and sustained benefit.
Listen & learn
Start with people and settings
Use community insight, clinical experience, data, and regional priorities to define consequential research questions.Design & test
Build rigorous, relevant studies
Apply strong methods, community engagement, precision approaches, and responsible technology to generate useful evidence.Implement
Put evidence into real-world practice
Adapt and evaluate approaches in clinics, health systems, rural communities, and other settings where people receive care.Spread & sustain
Extend reach and lasting benefit
Support adoption, scalable delivery, workforce development, and policy or practice changes that improve health over time.What success looks like
Progress that can be felt in everyday life
The Center’s work is designed to contribute to meaningful improvements in prevention, care, access, and the long-term burden of diabetes.
Better prevention and control
More effective approaches that help people prevent diabetes, manage it well, and maintain health over time.
Greater access and reach
Evidence-based services and technologies that can reach rural communities and populations inadequately supported by current systems.
Fewer avoidable complications
Earlier action, improved care, and stronger implementation that can help reduce hospitalizations, disability, and other complications.
A stronger research workforce
Investigators and cross-institutional teams equipped to lead the next generation of diabetes translation research.
Explore the Center
See how GCDTR turns priorities into action
Meet the leadership team, explore the research cores and programs, or learn about opportunities to collaborate and receive support.