El Muayed Lab

Our Mission

Understanding why beta cells fail in type 2 diabetes is crucial to designing more effective treatments. Our work focuses on the role of divalent metals—both essential and toxic—in beta cell function. We were the first to establish a link between the ZnT8 diabetes risk variant (SNP rs13266634) and altered zinc levels in human islets, shedding light on how genetic factors influence disease susceptibility. Additionally, we investigate cadmium toxicity and its impact on beta cell survival, providing insights into environmental risk factors for diabetes.

Research Interests

The El Muayed Team investigates the pathophysiology of beta cell failure in type 2 diabetes, focusing on the interplay of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to this condition. Our primary research interests include the roles of essential and non-essential divalent metals and their transport pathways in beta cell function. Notably, our team was the first to establish a significant association between the type 2 diabetes risk variant at the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs13266634 in the beta cell specific zinc transporter ZnT8 encoding gene and higher zinc levels in human islets.

We are currently employing a range of methodologies to uncover the mechanisms through which this ZnT8 risk variant contributes to increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes—a variant that is highly prevalent in the general population. Additionally, our group has made seminal contributions to understanding how exposure to the toxic metal cadmium is linked to an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes in part through the accumulation of cadmium in insulin-producing islets.

Malek El Muayed, MD, MSCI

Professor of Medicine/Endocrinology

Principal Investigator

Katherine Dennehy, MS

Senior Research Support Specialist