David Blodgett, PhD
David is unique among patients at the UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, is a faculty member at Babson College, and serves as a research scientist at the UMass Chan Medical School. His journey began as a child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at three years old. Today, he's a happy and healthy adult focusing his scientific career on finding a cure for diabetes.
“I don’t remember not having diabetes,” he said. He perceives it as a disease that can be managed and controlled if people "stay on top of it." He remembers the "old diabetes technology" of test strips and early blood glucose meters. That's why David is a big fan of the newest diabetes technology, especially the latest insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, which “make it easier to predict what's going to happen and to know what's currently happening.”
David has worn an insulin pump since middle school and progressively taken more control of his diabetes, eating habits, and athletic endeavors. He never felt deprived of sports, travel, and fun activities as a child, and he certainly doesn’t feel that way today.
Dr. Blodgett's research focuses on studying pancreatic beta cells and understanding what makes them unique. His work in the Harlan Lab is instrumental to the breakthrough scientific discoveries being made at the UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence.