Ranganath Muniyappa, M.D., Ph.D.
- Senior Clinician: Clinical Endocrinology Section, Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Obesity Branch
- Director: Inter-Institute Endocrinology Fellowship Program
Professional Experience
- Fellowship, State University of New York (SUNY), 2001–2004
- Residency, Wayne State University Program, 1998–2001
- Ph.D., Wayne State University, 1999
- M.D., Bangalore Medical College, 1991
Research Goal
Our ultimate goal is to develop effective therapies that simultaneously target metabolic and vascular dysfunction in obesity and diabetes.
Current Research
Our research focuses on studies of the metabolic and vascular actions of insulin and how these actions are impaired in insulin-resistant states such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Insulin-mediated microvascular recruitment plays an important role in glucose disposal and is frequently impaired in people with obesity and diabetes. We perform clinical studies that seek to understand how therapeutic interventions modulate biological actions of insulin and the molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance that play a role in coupling metabolic and vascular dysfunction in obesity and diabetes. Our research is also directed toward understanding the physiologic basis for the higher prevalence of cardiovascular dysfunction and insulin resistance in ethnic minorities such as African-Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, and Asians.
Applying our Research
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in diabetes. Developing novel therapies that target cardiovascular risk in obesity and diabetes will greatly benefit our patients with diabetes and obesity.
Select Publications
- Vascular Insulin Resistance and Free Fatty Acids: The Micro-Macro Circulation Nexus.
- Muniyappa R.
- J Clin Endocrinol Metab (2024 Jul 12) 109:e1671-e1672. Abstract/Full Text
- Disentangling Dual Threats: Premature Coronary Artery Disease and Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in South Asians.
- Muniyappa R, Narayanappa SBK.
- J Endocr Soc (2023 Dec 1) 8:bvad167. Abstract/Full Text
Research in Plain Language
We study how some diseases interfere with the ability of insulin to break down sugar in the body andthe ways that treating these diseases influences the effects of insulin. Our team also conducts research to help understand why some ethnic minorities are more likely than other groups to have cardiovascular problems and lower insulin efficiency.