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Molly C. Mulcahy, PhD, RD (she/her/hers)

Postdoctoral Researcher
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
Madison, WI, United States

Molly C. Mulcahy PhD RD is a postdoctoral researcher in the Davis lab at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is an interdisciplinary scientist whose doctoral training included molecular physiology and clinical nutrition research methodologies. The focus of my postdoctoral work is youth-onset type 2 diabetes (YO-T2D), a condition that is uniquely aggressive compared to adult-onset T2D. More than 50% of patients with YO-T2D fail first-line monotherapy and experience comorbidity onset within the first year after diagnosis. This is thought to be partially attributable to the recommended first line drug’s not working in concert with the unique pro-growth and pubertal milieu present in YO-T2D. My work seeks to identify if GLP-1R agonists pro-proliferative and serotonergic effects are better suited to spare beta cells and improve comorbidities in YO-T2D because they may synergize with the hormonal state of childhood and puberty.

This work is highly translationally relevant as there is no meaningful access to islet tissues in children with YO-T2D currently, making murine models for mechanistic evaluation of islet cell dynamics ideal. The results of this study will provide the basis for clinical investigation of the use of GLP-1R agonists during puberty and in YO-T2D as a first line therapy later in my career. Improved modeling of YO-T2D in animals will also provide further space for innovation and evidence-based medicine in youth.

Disclosure information not submitted.

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