Emory Global Diabetes Research Center

What Emory Global Diabetes Research Center does

Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) is a non-profit academic research center housed within Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. It functions as an integrated hub for diabetes epidemiology, prevention, treatment, and translation, operating large-scale multi-country cohort research (including the CARRS Cohort Study with 20,000+ participants), developing novel diagnostic methodologies such as Pancreas Functional MRI, and producing tools like the Atlanta Food Map to study food environments. The center runs an Emory AI & Causal Lab focused on causal and machine-learning methods applied to diabetes, and hosts student-led innovation programs (Top 10 Diabetes Challenges, Demo Day, and a Diabetes Translational Accelerator) that bridge academic research into applied solutions.

EGDRC's core outputs are scientific publications, cohort datasets, methodological platforms (Pancreas Functional MRI, AI & Causal Lab tooling), and policy artifacts such as the Copenhagen Declaration co-developed with global partners. Its business model is non-commercial: the center is funded almost entirely by extramural research grants from federal agencies (NIH, NIDDK, National Institute on Aging) and foundations (notably the Novo Nordisk Foundation), with no disclosed product pricing, licensing revenue, or customer billing. Indirect cost recovery flows to Emory University rather than the center itself.

The center serves a mixed stakeholder set rather than a paying customer base: research participants in cohort studies, collaborating investigators and ministries of health across approximately 25 countries, federal and foundation funders, and Emory students and trainees. Its strategic positioning combines traditional academic strengths (longitudinal epidemiology, faculty recognition through NAM and ADA awards) with newer translational and AI-augmented capabilities, making it a hybrid research-and-application platform rather than a pure academic department.

Name

Emory Global Diabetes Research Center

Legal name

Emory University

Website

https://diabetes.emory.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EGDRC is an academic research center at Emory University focused on diabetes epidemiology, prevention, and translation, operating multi-country cohorts, novel imaging methods, an AI & Causal Lab, and global policy initiatives across 25 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Diabetes Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Diabetes (General) (HLAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Biomedical Research Universities (Academic Medical Center–Affiliated) (EDAHABAC), Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM), Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Diabetes research programs
• Population health research
• Cardiometabolic disease studies
• Translational medicine research
• Epidemiology and prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NIH/NIDDK Research Grants: Primary funding from National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases through mechanisms including P30 grants supporting the Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research and investigator-initiated research grants.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation for initiatives like the Copenhagen Declaration for Diabetes.
3. Federal Research Grants: Significant grants including $22 million from the National Institute on Aging to investigate links between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease (Type 3 diabetes research).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) is an academic research center within Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health that conducts interdisciplinary diabetes research spanning basic science, clinical research, translational science, digital health, and health policy. It operates large-scale cohort studies, advanced imaging research (Pancreas Functional MRI), AI/analytics capabilities, doctoral training programs, and global policy initiatives such as the Copenhagen Declaration for Diabetes. The center does not sell commercial products; it produces research outputs, publications, training, and policy blueprints.

Product overview

Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) is a research center that does not offer a single commercial product but rather a portfolio of research programs, platforms, and initiatives. The center operates the CARRS Cohort Study (a major longitudinal population-based research program), supports the Pancreas Functional MRI research imaging initiative, runs the Emory AI & Causal Lab for data science, and coordinates the Top 10 Diabetes Problems innovation initiative through StopNCD.org. EGDRC also supports the Copenhagen Declaration global initiative and the Atlanta Food Map visualization tool. A key pathway is the Diabetes Translational Accelerator (DTA) doctoral program, which incubates student-led innovations including DiaBuddies, TasteMatch, Eat-I, and Pilly for diabetes management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research (GCDTR): Regional and national hub for advancing diabetes translation science and practice, established in 2016 and supported by NIDDK
• Exercise is Medicine Global Research and Collaboration Center (EIMGRCC)
• Diabetes Translational Accelerator (DTA)
• CARRS Cohort Study

Products and services

• CARRS Cohort Study

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of 828 million people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries, but only 3-4% of global research occurs there
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership with one of India's premier diabetes research institutions. MDRF is a key collaborator in the CARRS cohort study and represents one of the longest and most successful India-US collaborations in diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases.
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New DelhicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEGDRC has longstanding collaborations with AIIMS New Delhi, one of India's premier medical institutions, supporting global diabetes research initiatives.
• Georgia Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the GCDTR consortium and StopNCD initiative, bringing engineering and technology expertise to diabetes solutions development including student hackathons and Demo Days.
• Morehouse School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in GCDTR consortium, contributing to regional diabetes translation research efforts and health equity initiatives.
• IIT MadrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEGDRC partnered with IIT Madras's Shankar Center of Excellence for Diabetes Research through the StopNCD consortium to launch the Top 10 Diabetes Challenges initiative and DiaTech 10X Hackathon.
• Mercer UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Mercer University to launch the 'Top 10 Diabetes Challenges for Rural Georgia' initiative, culminating in Demo Day showcasing student technology solutions.
• University of FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in the GCDTR consortium, supporting diabetes translation research across the Southeast region.
• University of MiamicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in the GCDTR consortium, contributing to diabetes translation research efforts.
• University of Tennessee Health Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in the GCDTR consortium, expanding the reach of diabetes translation research across the Southeast.
• Emory Goizueta Brain Health InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with EGDRC on the CARRS study investigating connections between cardiometabolic health and brain health, including research on diabetes, Alzheimer's, and dementia.
• Emory's The HatcheryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmory's innovation hub collaborated on the Global Diabetes Innovation course, providing entrepreneurship support and resources for student teams developing diabetes technology solutions.
• StopNCD ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal consortium led by EGDRC in partnership with Georgia Tech and IIT Madras, focused on identifying and solving technology challenges in diabetes and non-communicable diseases through the Top 10 Problems initiative.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Diabetes Association: The ADA is the largest US nonprofit dedicated to diabetes research, advocacy, and care standards. It is an incumbent peer to EGDRC as the dominant diabetes research and policy organization whose awards and guidelines shape the field.
• JDRF (formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation): JDRF is the leading global nonprofit funding Type 1 diabetes research. It is comparable to EGDRC as a major diabetes research funding and advocacy organization that influences the broader research agenda.

Direct peers

• Joslin Diabetes Center: Joslin Diabetes Center is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and is one of the world's premier diabetes research and clinical care institutions. It is directly comparable to EGDRC as a leading academic diabetes research center conducting basic, clinical, and translational research.
• University of Michigan Caswell Diabetes Institute: The Caswell Diabetes Institute at the University of Michigan integrates diabetes research, care, and education. It is a comparable academic diabetes center with multidisciplinary programs similar to EGDRC's structure.
• Indiana University Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases: Indiana University's CDMD is an NIDDK-funded P30 diabetes research center. It is a direct peer to EGDRC and GCDTR as both receive similar federal grant mechanisms to support regional diabetes translation research.
• Stanford Diabetes Research Center: Stanford's Diabetes Research Center conducts interdisciplinary diabetes research spanning basic science, clinical investigation, and population health. It is comparable to EGDRC for its academic medical center affiliation and broad research portfolio.
• Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center: Vanderbilt's DRTC is an NIDDK-funded diabetes research center focused on translational research and training. It is a direct peer as both centers receive P30-style federal funding to support regional diabetes translation research networks.
• Columbia Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center: The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University is a leading academic diabetes research and treatment center. It is a direct peer to EGDRC given its university-affiliated structure and comprehensive diabetes research mission.

Emerging players

• Framingham Heart Study (Boston University): The Framingham Heart Study is a landmark longitudinal cohort study. It is a partial peer to EGDRC's CARRS study as both leverage large-scale population cohorts to investigate cardiometabolic disease, though Framingham focuses on cardiovascular disease more broadly.
• Duke Molecular Physiology Institute: Duke's Molecular Physiology Institute conducts interdisciplinary research on metabolic diseases including diabetes. It is a partial peer to EGDRC for its academic medical center-based translational research approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/egdrc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@emoryglobaldiabetesresearc5650/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emory-global-diabetes-research-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Emory Global Diabetes Research Center