Kaberi Dasgupta
Kaberi Dasgupta is a Physician, Scientist, and Professor of Medicine at McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre. Her research focus is prevention, reversal, and self-management support in diabetes. Her research is funded by the CIHR, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Lawson Foundation, and Diabetes Canada. Her research has received a high level of media coverage because of its direct relevance to patients, practitioners, and policy makers. She is currently studying the reversal of type 2 diabetes through low energy diet and supervised exercise (CIHR-MRC grant); the impact of recurrent gestational diabetes on cardiac disease in mothers, fathers, and offspring (Heart & Stroke Foundation); the uptake and acceptability of web resources, ePlatform-based step and weight monitoring, and health coaching on health behaviour change in gestational diabetes (Lawson Foundation).
Dr Dasgupta’s notable contributions include
- The demonstration that a physician-delivered step count prescription strategy can increase steps and improve glucose control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes/hypertension (CIHR-funded SMARTER trial; Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism, 2017). This strategy has been incorporated into Diabetes Canada’s 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines.
- The determination that gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension are indicators for the future development of postpartum diabetes both in mothers and in fathers (Diabetes Canada-funded studies; Diabetes Care, 2015; American Journal of Epidemiology, 2017). This is consistent with her previous work indicating spouse concordance in diabetes (BMC Medicine, 2014). The concept of shared couple risk may be leveraged for couple-based collaboration for diabetes prevention. Dr Dasgupta has conducted several intervention studies in this area (Cardiovascular Diabetology, 2014; BMC Public Health, 2018) funded by the CIHR, Lawson Foundation and the Medavie Foundation.
- The identification of a high prevalence of stigma among youth with type 1 diabetes (Diabetes Canada-funding; JMIR, 2018). This stigma is associated with a greater likelihood of severe hypoglycemia as well as overall glucose levels above target. This led to development of a virtual peer-led peer to peer network to support youth with type 1 diabetes (CIHR and Diabetes Canada-funded).