For 20 years, the Kovler Diabetes Center at the University of Chicago Medicine has brought together research, patient care, education and community outreach to improve the lives of people with diabetes.

As the center celebrates its anniversary this month, leaders are honoring not only two decades of progress but also more than a century of university discoveries that have shaped diabetes research and treatment.

“Twenty years ago, we set out to make sure that what's discovered in the lab reaches the people who need it,” said Peggy Hasenauer, RN, the center’s executive director. “Looking back, I'm proud of what this team has built, and even more grateful for the century of science that made it possible.”

Notable diabetes research and breakthroughs

In the early 1900s, University of Chicago scientists helped advance understanding of the pancreas and its role in diabetes. Later discoveries revealed how insulin works, how the body produces it and how genetics influence the disease.

Key milestones include:

• 1930: Researcher William Bloom, MD, identified a previously unknown pancreatic cell which was later found to produce somatostatin, a hormone that helps regulate insulin and other hormones.
• 1940s: Konrad Bloch, PhD, helped explain insulin’s role in fat and cholesterol production. Rachmiel Levine, MD, demonstrated how insulin helps glucose move from the bloodstream into cells, where it provides energy.
• 1960s: Donald Steiner, MD, discovered that the body produces a precursor molecule called proinsulin that is then processed into insulin. His work transformed scientists’ understanding of hormone production and helped advance insulin treatment.

University researchers also helped identify genes responsible for rare forms of diabetes.

Beginning in the 1990s, Graeme Bell, PhD, and colleagues identified genes linked to maturity-onset diabetes of the young, or MODY. Later, researchers discovered mutations associated with neonatal diabetes, helping physicians make more precise diagnoses and tailor care to specific forms of the disease.

In 2002, David Ehrmann, MD, contributed to the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program, which showed that modest weight loss can significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

“Working with five historic figures in Diabetes Care and Research at the University of Chicago — Drs. Steiner, Polonsky, Rubenstein, Bell and Tager — has been both inspirational and humbling,” said Louis Philipson, MD, PhD, the center’s director.

“My colleagues and I who were in training at that time will never forget what towering figures we were fortunate to learn from.”

Bringing discoveries from the lab to patients

By the early 2000s, university leaders recognized that further progress required closer collaboration among researchers, clinicians, educators and patients.

Support from Jonathan and Sally Kovler helped make that vision a reality, establishing the Kovler Diabetes Center and creating dedicated space for diabetes research and care.

Philipson recalled how the center came together through the work of faculty members, supporters and Hasenauer, whose conversations with Sally Kovler helped establish the center’s first advisory board.

Under Philipson and Hasenauer’s leadership, the center brought specialists together with a shared goal: translating scientific discoveries into better care.

Today, Kovler clinicians see patients in Hyde Park, Orland Park, the south suburbs and other locations, expanding access to specialized diabetes care.

Programs to prevent and manage diabetes

Education remains central to the center’s mission. Physicians, nurses, diabetes care and education specialists, dietitians and nutritionists help patients and caregivers understand diabetes prevention, treatment and daily management.

Community partnerships extend that work beyond clinics and hospitals. Through health fairs, block parties, school programs and neighborhood presentations, Kovler teams connect people with education and resources.

“Ongoing engagement with community members and healthcare professionals is fundamental to our center’s mission,” said Lisa Letourneau-Freiberg, RD, MPH, the center’s research director. “It allows us to deliver education and gather feedback that shapes future programming and research initiatives around the community’s interests.”

Advancing the future of diabetes care

Research also remains a cornerstone of the center’s work.

Investigators have helped establish the nation’s first web-based neonatal diabetes registry, studied how the brain communicates with pancreatic cells to regulate insulin, and examined how environmental chemicals, sleep and daily biological rhythms may influence diabetes risk.

Other research explores the immune and cellular processes behind diabetes and potential new treatments.

The center supports more than 20 active clinical trials at any given time, giving eligible patients opportunities to participate in studies of promising therapies while helping researchers advance diabetes care.

As the center looks ahead, its mission remains focused on preventing disease, personalizing treatment and expanding access to care.

“At the heart of great diabetes care are great people, and the Kovler Diabetes Center has never had a stronger team,” Philipson said. “From clinical research breakthroughs to behavioral health to transplant innovation, our faculty are building something worth being really excited about. The future of the center is in excellent hands.”