Project Grant R01DK146473

This $574,757 Project Grant, awarded March 13, 2026, by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), supports basic biomedical research conducted by Rutgers The State University of New Jersey's School of Nursing in Newark through January 31, 2031. The funded research investigates the mechanisms linking estrogen deficiency to insulin resistance and metabolic disease in postmenopausal women, with particular emphasis on the role of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) overactivity in disrupting glucose and lipid metabolism.

The project delivers fundamental scientific research products that advance understanding of how estrogen deficiency alters sympathetic nervous system activity and impairs insulin signaling in metabolic tissues. Using innovative gain-and loss-of-function mouse models, the research will characterize how increased sympathetic nerve activity at the organismal and tissue-specific levels contributes to metabolic dysfunction and evaluate whether sympatholytic interventions—therapies that suppress norepinephrine release—represent viable therapeutic strategies for improving metabolic control in postmenopausal women. The anticipated research outputs include peer-reviewed publications, mechanistic discoveries regarding SNS-mediated insulin resistance, and preclinical evidence supporting potential therapeutic approaches that could address unmet clinical needs in treating estrogen deficiency-induced metabolic disease without the malignancy risks associated with traditional hormone replacement therapy.