Priyathama Vellanki MD

Priyathama Vellanki, MD, is a clinically trained endocrinologist whose long-term career goal is to become an independent clinical investigator in the area of genotype-phenotype correlations and assessment of sex differences in insulin sensitivity and secretion. Dr. Guillermo Umpierrez serves as her mentor during her BIRCWH appointment. The objective of her BIRCWH award was to evaluate the underlying sex-specific and non-sex-specific epigenetic markers associated with changes in insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in the field of ketosis-prone diabetes (KPDM).

Dr. Vellanki has a strong background in clinical research with a focus on women’s health. During her fellowship, under the mentorship of Dr. Andrea Dunaif, she received a T-32 grant to study the correlation between sex-specific DNA variants and dysglycemia in a common reproductive disorder in women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In order to consolidate her skills in clinical research, she completed a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI), during which she acquired skills in biostatistics, epidemiology, and research methods. This work resulted in several abstracts and three publications.

Since becoming an Assistant Professor at Emory University in 2014, Dr. Vellanki has maintained an interest in understanding genotype-phenotype correlations in insulin sensitivity and secretion. In her clinical practice, many patients who present with diabetic ketoacidosis have KPDM. Therefore, she feels strongly that elucidating the underlying mechanisms in KPDM will have relevant implications for the majority of patients in her clinical practice. As a result, she has extended her study of genotype-phenotype correlations from common DNA variants to epigenetic markers of insulin sensitivity and secretion. Further, despite the high male prevalence, few studies have examined sex differences in the underlying mechanisms leading to changes in insulin sensitivity and secretion.