Sarah Milian
Vanderbilt University
David Jacobson lab
Embedded within the pancreas are clusters of cells called Islets of Langerhans. These islets contain cells that function together to maintain normal blood glucose levels. My research focuses on a potassium channel, TALK-1, that has been shown to regulate the function of these cells and therefore modulate blood glucose levels. Interestingly, a polymorphism in TALK-1 has been associated with an increased risk for type-2 diabetes and a mutation in TALK-1 has been shown to cause neonatal diabetes. My work attempts to understand the function of TALK-1 and the mechanisms by which it can contribute to diabetic phenotypes.