Eric Baeuerle’s abstract has been selected for an oral presentation at the American Diabetes Association 80th  Scientific Sessions in June. Baeuerle is a GS-4 student in the South Texas Medical Scientist Training Program and is currently working in the lab of Nicolas Musi, M.D.  as part of the Biology of Aging training program. He researches the impact of novel interventions on the underlying processes of aging-associated diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease in both pre-clinical models and in human clinical trials. His research takes place at both the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies as well as at the San Antonio Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center. He will be presenting his abstract “Effect of Sevelamer and a Synbiotic on Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Individuals.” “Early insulin resistance is a key step in the development of type 2 diabetes in adults. The gut and its bacterial contents (the microbiome) have been thought to contribute in some form to the pathogenesis of early insulin resistance,” he explained. “This study aimed to test two interventions that we hypothesized would directly impact the gut microbiome in humans and subsequently improve insulin resistance.” Using an FDA-approved therapeutic called sevelamer, as well as a proprietary combination of a pre-biotic and pro-biotic, Baeuerle is able to assess the impact of a one-month treatment in both lean and obese human subjects on various clinical factors, including gut microbiome composition, insulin sensitivity, and inflammatory markers. “We hope that this study will help provide more understanding of the role of the gut microbiome in the development of early stage insulin resistance,” he said.” After he completes his graduate school training, he will be returning back to medical school for clinical rotations but plans to continue contributing to geroscience research at UT Health San Antonio. He eventually wants to enter an Internal Medicine residency program with the goal to subspecialize in Geriatric Medicine in the long-term future.