PhD

Associate Professor

Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Departmental Affiliate, Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics

University of Illinois at Chicago

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Kirstie K. Danielson, PhD is an Associate Professor of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). She received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and completed postdoctoral training in Endocrinology at the University of Chicago, and Epidemiology at UIC. Dr. Danielson’s expertise as an epidemiologist is in the area of type 1 diabetes (T1D), specifically complications of the disease and therapies for T1D, along with biostatical approaches for large cohort and clinical trial studies. Her previous research has investigated the epidemiology of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and altered reproductive function in patients both living with T1D and after being functionally cured of T1D by islet cell transplantation. And conversely, the impact of bone hormones, vascular function, and estrogen/sex differences on the ability of islet cell transplant to functionally cure T1D. Dr Danielson is internationally recognized for her work in the area of islet cell transplant as a functional cellular cure for T1D, and leads the UIC clinical research team for the Biologics License Application to the FDA to make islet cell transplant part of standard of care in the U.S. She has been funded by NIH, the CDC, the American Diabetes Association, UIC, foundations, and industry. Dr Danielson has received several research awards and high praise for her teaching and mentoring, directly supervising dozens of students to date in diabetes research at UIC, and is frequently selected for national and international presentations of her work. She developed and teaches one of the most popular Honors College seminars at UIC on Current Perspectives in Diabetes and Treatments.