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My interest in this field evolved naturally because of my training in
biochemistry, human genetics and epidemiology, as well as my research
regarding the epidemiology of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM),
which began in the early 1980’s. By the late 1980’s, studies from
Massimo Trucco’s lab at our Diabetes Research Center led to the discovery
of molecular markers of IDDM susceptibility (HLA-DQB1 alleles)
associated with more than a 100-fold increase in risk. The magnitude of
these disease associations were unparalleled. At the same time, our
research center became a WHO
Collaborating Center for Diabetes Registries, Research and Training
(Ronald LaPorte and Janice Dorman, Co-Directors),
coordinating the WHO Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes, known
as the DiaMond Project. The incidence registries established for DiaMond
in countries around the world, the discovery of a strong molecular maker
of IDDM susceptibility and my participation in these research efforts
provided the perfect "natural setting" to embark on a career in
molecular epidemiology.
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