Jean M. Lawrence, Sc.D., M.P.H., M.S.S.A.

Responsibilities & Activities
As the Senior Advisor for Diabetes Epidemiology, my portfolio includes clinical, translational, and epidemiological studies of type 2 diabetes that address risk factors for the occurrence, prognosis, natural history and complications of diabetes with an emphasis on studies conducted within health care delivery systems, that use clinical and administrative information in electronic health records including patient reported outcomes, and that evaluate natural experiments in healthcare systems and large scale policy changes. I am the NIDDK Project Scientist on Natural EXperiments for Translation in Diabetes 3.0 (NEXT-D3) network. My portfolio also includes studies examining the relationship between gestational diabetes (GDM) and the subsequent development and prevention of type 2 diabetes in these women.
I lead diabetes epidemiology activities for NIDDK that include developing diabetes-related questions for national surveys and other epidemiologic data sources, design and interpretation of secondary data analysis using data in the NIDDK data repositories, health resource utilization databases, national datasets, and biological repositories that support clinical, translational, and epidemiological research in diabetes, and mentor early- and mid-stage diabetes epidemiologists. I oversee the revision of the Diabetes in America compendium which has transitioned to a digital format. Chapters will be updated as new information and research becomes available.
Research Programs
Clinical Research in Type 2 Diabetes
Progression and treatment of type 2 diabetes in children and adults.
Diabetes: Treatment, Prevention, & Complications
Basic and clinical studies aimed at addressing the prevention, treatment, and pathophysiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Obesity, Pregnancy, & the Intrauterine Environment
Impact of metabolic dysfunction on the intrauterine environment and subsequent metabolic health of mother and offspring.
Committees & Working Groups
- Trans-NIH Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Task Force, Member
- NIDDK Epidemiology Committee, Member
- NIDDK Women’s Health Working Group, Member
- Clinical Advancement based on Research Evidence (CARE) Working Group, Member
- Growth and Advancement of Researchers in Diabetes & Endocrinology (GARDEN), Member
- American Diabetes Association Diabetes in Youth Interest Group Leadership Team, Chair
- Women's Interprofessional Network of the American Diabetes Association (WIN ADA) Advisory Group, Member
- European Diabetes Epidemiology Group Steering Committee, Member
Select Experience
Senior Research Scientist, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, 1997-2020
Epidemic Intelligence Service Fellow, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1995-1997
Sc.D., Maternal & Child Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 1995
M.P.H., Public and Community Health, University of Pittsburgh, 1991
Clinical Social Worker, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Magee Women’s Hospital, William Beaumont Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, 1984-1994
M.S.S.A., Social Work, Case Western Reserve University, 1984
B.A., Psychology, University of Michigan, 1982