Graduate student Andy Anderson has obtained an F31 predoctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Andy’s research focuses on a rare protein modification known as hypusination, which is important for beta cell expansion. They hypothesize that loss of hypusination of the translation initiation factor eIF5A inhibits protein translation and, therefore, stops beta cells from proliferating in response to stress in diabetes.

Ultimately, this work could lead to a new strategy for preserving beta cell mass in diabetes via modulating eIF5A hypusination levels.