Carmella Evans-Molina, PhD, MS, MD, serves as the Eli Lilly Foundation Professor of Pediatric Diabetes at Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, where she is the director of the IU Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases and the Indiana Diabetes Research Center (P30 DK097512). She is the program leader of the Diabetes Research Program in the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, co-primary investigator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Integrated Islet Distribution Program and a co-executive director of the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD).
Research in the Evans-Molina laboratory is focused on defining the molecular and inflammatory etiologies of β cell dysfunction that contribute to diabetes pathophysiology. The lab also has a translational and clinical research interest in identifying β cell stress pathways that can be leveraged to inform the development of biomarkers that predict diabetes risk and disease-modifying therapies.
Calcium-mediated regulation of insulin production, processing, and secretion in the pancreatic β cell
Exploration of miRNAs as molecular hubs of β cell dysfunction during the evolution of type 1 diabetes
The role of the β cell-intrinsic signals in T1D pathogenesis
Novel imaging methods to monitor β cell health
Clinical Research
Dr. Evans-Molina participates in several diabetes clinical trial networks and holds leadership positions in several national and international diabetes research initiatives.
Click on the links to the right to learn more about participating in research if you have Type 1 diabetes or a family history of diabetes (TRIALNET), atypical diabetes (RADIANT), or have experienced pancreatitis (DREAM).
Dr. Evans-Molina is an investigator in the Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet Network, where she serves as a member of the Collaborative Mechanistic Studies Panel, chair of the Long-Term Investigative Follow-Up (LIFT) Study, and chair of the TN-31 Study. As a TrialNet investigator, Dr. Evans-Molina actively utilizes clinical data from the study cohort to address questions regarding T1D epidemiology, evolution, and risk. Current studies are focused on defining the immune, metabolic, and genetic phenotypes of autoantibody positive individuals who do not progress to T1D after extended periods of follow-up. Past studies have tested how obesity impacts T1D risk and defined the timing and extent of β cell dysfunction prior to the diagnosis of Stage 3 T1D.
Indiana T1D Biorepository
Dr. Evans-Molina also oversees the Indiana T1D Biorepository, an effort focused on banking blood and urine samples from individuals with T1D or at risk of developing T1D. These samples are utilized in a number of studies focused on developing new biomarkers that can define T1D risk and understanding the immune and metabolic signatures associated with T1D development. This initiative also includes efforts to bank samples from individuals without diabetes in order to support these research questions. The team is currently seeking children without diabetes for a study to better predict who is at risk for Type 1 Diabetes. Learn how to help.
Contact for further information: Gabriela Monaco, gamonaco@iu.edu, 317-274-4135
Sohn P, McLaughlin MR, Krishnan P, Wu W, Slak Rupnik M, Takasu A, Senda T, Lee CC, Kono T, Evans-Molina C. Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 Maintains β-Cell Identity and Function in Female Mice Through Preservation of G-Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor 1 Signaling. Diabetes. 2023 Oct 1;72(10):1433-1445. doi: 10.2337/db22-0988. PMID: 37478155.
Iida H, Kono T, Lee CC, Krishnan P, Arvin MC, Weaver SA, Jarvela TS, Branco RCS, McLaughlin MR, Bone RN, Tong X, Arvan P, Lindberg I, Evans-Molina C. SERCA2 regulates proinsulin processing and processing enzyme maturation in pancreatic beta cells. Diabetologia. 2023 Aug 4. doi: 10.1007/s00125-023-05979-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37537395.
Davidson RK, Kanojia S, Wu W, Kono T, Xu J, Osmulski M, Bone RN, Casey N, Evans-Molina C, Sims EK, Spaeth JM. The Chd4 Helicase Regulates Chromatin Accessibility and Gene Expression Critical for β-Cell Function In Vivo. Diabetes. 2023 Jun 1;72(6):746-757. DOI: 10.2337/db22-0939. PubMed PMID: 36913741; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10202766.
Ferrannini E, Mari A, Monaco GSF, Skyler JS, Evans-Molina C. The effect of age on longitudinal measures of beta cell function and insulin sensitivity during the progression of early stage type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2023 Mar;66(3):508-519. doi: 10.1007/s00125-022-05836-w. Epub 2022 Dec 2. PMID: 36459177; PMCID: PMC9716154.
Evans-Molina C, Oram RA. Teplizumab approval for type 1 diabetes in the USA. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2023 Feb;11(2):76-77. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00390-4. Epub 2023 Jan 6. PMID: 36623518.
Syed F, Singhal D, Raedschelders K, Krishnan P, Bone RN, McLaughlin MR, Van Eyk JE, Mirmira RG, Yang ML, Mamula MJ, Wu H, Liu X, Evans-Molina C. A discovery-based proteomics approach identifies protein disulphide isomerase (PDIA1) as a biomarker of β cell stress in type 1 diabetes. EBioMedicine. 2023 Jan;87:104379. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104379. Epub 2022 Dec 1. PMID: 36463755; PMCID: PMC9719098.
Ferrannini E, Mari A, Monaco GSF, Skyler JS, Evans-Molina C. The effect of age on longitudinal measures of beta cell function and insulin sensitivity during the progression of early stage type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2023 Mar;66(3):508-519. DOI: 10.1007/s00125-022-05836-w. Epub 2022 Dec 2. PubMed PMID: 36459177; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9716154.
Syed F, Singhal D, Raedschelders K, Krishnan P, Bone RN, McLaughlin MR, Van Eyk JE, Mirmira RG, Yang ML, Mamula MJ, Wu H, Liu X, Evans-Molina C. A discovery-based proteomics approach identifies protein disulphide isomerase (PDIA1) as a biomarker of β cell stress in type 1 diabetes. EBioMedicine. 2022 Dec 1;87:104379. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36463755; DOI:10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104379
Wu W, Syed F, Simpson E, Lee CC, Liu J, Chang G, Dong C, Seitz C, Eizirik DL, Mirmira RG, Liu Y, Evans-Molina C. The Impact of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines on Alternative Splicing Patterns in Human Islets. Diabetes. 2022; 71(1):116-127. PMID: 34697029. PMID:34697029; DOI:10.2337/db20-0847
Sims EK, Carr ALJ, Oram RA, DiMeglio LA, Evans-Molina C. 100 years of insulin: celebrating the past, present and future of diabetes therapy. Nat Med. 2021 Jul;27(7):1154-1164. doi: 10.1038/s41591-021-01418-2. Epub 2021 Jul 15. PMID: 34267380; PMCID: PMC8802620.
Sims EK, Bahnson HT, Nyalwidhe J, Haataja L, Davis AK, Speake C, DiMeglio LA, Blum J, Morris MA, Mirmira RG, Nadler J, Mastracci TL, Marcovina S, Qian WJ, Yi L, Swensen AC, Yip-Schneider M, Schmidt CM, Considine RV, Arvan P, Greenbaum CJ, Evans-Molina C; T1D Exchange Residual C-peptide Study Group. Proinsulin Secretion Is a Persistent Feature of Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2019 Feb;42(2):258-264. PMID: 30530850; DOI:10.2337/dc17-2625
Oram RA, Sims EK, Evans-Molina C. Beta cells in type 1 diabetes: mass and function; sleeping or dead? Diabetologia. 2019 Apr;62(4):567-577. doi: 10.1007/s00125-019-4822-4. Epub 2019 Feb 14. PMID: 30767048; PMCID: PMC6688846.
Yamamoto WR, Bone RN, Sohn P, Syed F, Reissaus CA, Mosley AL, Wijeratne AB, True JD, Tong X, Kono T, and Evans-Molina C. Endoplasmic reticulum stress alters ryanodine receptor function in the murine pancreatic β cell. J Biol Chem. 2019 Jan 4;294(1);168-181. PMID: 30420428; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.005683
Kono T, Tong X, Taleb S, Bone RN, Iida H, Lee CC, Sohn P, Gilon P, Roe MW, Evans-Molina C. Impaired Store-Operated Calcium Entry and STIM1 Loss Lead to Reduced Insulin Secretion and Increased Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Diabetic β-Cell. Diabetes. 2018 Nov;67(11):2293-2304. PMID:30131394; DOI:10.2337/db17-1351
Evans-Molina C, Sims EK, DiMeglio LA, Ismail HM, Steck AK, Palmer JP, Krischer JP, Geyer S, Xu P, Sosenko JM; Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet Study Group. β Cell dysfunction exists more than 5 years before type 1 diabetes diagnosis. JCI Insight. 2018 Aug 9;3(15):e120877 PMID: 30089716; DOI:10.1172/jci.insight.120877
DiMeglio LA, Evans-Molina C, Oram RA. Type 1 diabetes. Lancet. 2018 Jun 16;391(10138):2449-2462. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31320-5. PMID: 29916386; PMCID: PMC6661119.
Sims EK, Lakhter AJ, Anderson-Baucum E, Kono T, Tong X, Evans-Molina C. MicroRNA 21 targets BCL2 mRNA to increase apoptosis in rat and human beta cells. Diabetologia. 2017 Jun;60(6):1057-1065. PMID: 2820903; DOI:10.1007/s00125-017-4237-z
Tong X, Kono T, Anderson-Baucum EK, Yamamoto W, Gilon P, Lebeche D, Day RN, Shull GE, Evans-Molina C. SERCA2 Deficiency Impairs Pancreatic β-Cell Function in Response to Diet-Induced Obesity. Diabetes. 2016 Oct;65(10):3039-52. PMID:27489309; DOI:10.2337/db16-0084
Sims EK, Chaudhry Z, Watkins R, Syed F, Blum J, Ouyang F, Perkins SM, Mirmira RG, Sosenko J, DiMeglio LA, Evans-Molina C. Elevations in the Fasting Serum Proinsulin-to-C-Peptide Ratio Precede the Onset of Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2016 Sep;39(9):1519-26. PMID: 27385327; DOI:10.2337/dc15-2849
Evans-Molina C, Garmey JC, Ketchum R, Brayman KL, Deng S, Mirmira RG. Glucose regulation of insulin gene transcription and pre-mRNA processing in human islets. Diabetes. 2007 Mar;56(3):827-35. PMID:17327454; DOI:10.2337/db06-1440
