Richard Watanabe, PhD
Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences; Associate Dean for Health and Population Science Programs
Health Equity Interests
We work on genetics & pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes/obesity. We strive to determine the physiologic mechanisms underlying disease risk.
Biography
I have a primary interest in the pathophysiology and genetics of type 2 diabetes mellitus. My research program focuses on genetics, pathophysiology (and the correlation with genetics), and mathematical modeling of physiologic systems.
In the area of complex disease genetics, I am focusing on both positional cloning of susceptibility genes for type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related traits and understanding the gene-phenotype relationships and how they are impacted by environmental exposures.
Publications
Mind- and Body-Based Interventions Improve Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
J Integr Complement Med. 2023 Feb;29(2):69-79. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2022.0586. Epub 2022 Sep 7. PubMed PMID: 36070591;
Genome-wide association analysis identifies ancestry-specific genetic variation associated with acute response to metformin and glipizide in SUGAR-MGH.
Diabetologia. 2023 Jul;66(7):1260-1272. doi: 10.1007/s00125-023-05922-7. Epub 2023 May 26. PubMed PMID: 37233759;
A saturated map of common genetic variants associated with human height.
Nature. 2022 Oct;610(7933):704-712. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05275-y. Epub 2022 Oct 12. PubMed PMID: 36224396; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9605867.
Insulin Action, Glucose Homeostasis and Free Fatty Acid Metabolism: Insights From a Novel Model.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021;12:625701. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.625701. Epub 2021 Mar 16. PubMed PMID: 33815283; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8010655.
The trans-ancestral genomic architecture of glycemic traits.
Nat Genet. 2021 Jun;53(6):840-860. doi: 10.1038/s41588-021-00852-9. Epub 2021 May 31. PubMed PMID: 34059833; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7610958.
Courses Taught
- Biological and Behavioral Basis of Disease
- Principles of Biostatistics
- Introduction to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Statistical Problem Solving
- Applied Statistical Methods in Human Genetics
- Statistical Genetics II Theory and Practice
- Health Behavior Research Methods