About Us

About

about ACEPR

Advancing Research, Redefining Diabetes Care

Welcome to the Asian Centre for Endocrine Pancreas Research (AC-EPR),  a pioneering research institute committed to uncovering the complex biology of diabetes in the Indian population. As the first and only center in Asia dedicated to studying the endocrine pancreas, AC-EPR is redefining how we understand, detect, and treat diabetes.

Welcome to the Asian Centre for Endocrine Pancreas Research (AC-EPR), a one-of-a-kind research center dedicated to unraveling the complexities of diabetes in Indian Population.

​Diabetes has emerged as a global health concern, with an increasing and alarming number of younger individuals being affected by insulin deficiency. India is often referred to as the ‘diabetes capital of the world’ due to its high prevalence of diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India has an estimated 77 million adults living with diabetes as of 2019, and this number is expected to rise to 101 million by 2030.

​Our center is committed to understanding the epidemiology and various types of diabetes, with a special emphasis on Indian populations and develop innovative approaches for its prevention and management.

​What sets us apart is our groundbreaking approach towards understanding diabetes in the Indian context with a clear focus on the pancreas, a critical yet understudied organ in diabetes. Despite the high prevalence of diabetes in India, there is a notable lack of research specifically tailored to this demographic. We are the first and only center in Asia to conduct comprehensive studies on the pancreas to shed light on its role in diabetes and revolutionize treatment strategies.

​Our research methodology is as unique as our focus areas. We combine cutting-edge technology with a patient-centric approach. Through our exclusive clinical cohorts, we strive to translate research findings into actionable strategies that improve patient outcomes for various types of diabetes.

The Asian Centre for Endocrine Pancreas Research (AC-EPR), is established by a grant by the DBT (Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India) – Wellcome Trust INDIA Alliance. The centre is located within the premises of AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli, Hyderabad under the aegis of the Asian Healthcare Foundation, the Translational Research Institute of the hospitals.

AIG Hospitals is one of India’s largest tertiary care hospitals with a combined workforce of over 400 consultants representing 40+ medical specialties.

Our Founders

Dr D Nageshwar Reddy

M.D, D.M, D.Sc., FAMS, FRCP, FACG, FASGE, MWGO, MASGE, AGAF, FJGES, FAAAS

Chairman Asian Institute of Gastroenterology & AIG Hospitals Asian Healthcare Foundation Hyderabad, India

Dr G V Rao

MS, MAMS, FRCS

Director Surgical Gastroenterology & Minimally Invasive Surgery Asian Institute of Gastroenterology & AIG Hospitals Asian Healthcare Foundation Hyderabad, India

What makes us unique

First of its kind

Only center in Asia focused specifically on the endocrine pancreas

Cohort-driven

Research based on exclusive clinical cohorts of Indian individuals

Holistic methodology

Integration of advanced technologies, molecular biology, and a patient-centric approach

Translational impact

Research designed to directly improve diagnostic and treatment outcomes

Meet Our Team

Our Team

Principal Investigator

Dr. Sasikala Mitnala

PhD, MAMS, FRSB, FAAAS

Director Research, Asian Healthcare Foundation, Hyderabad

Co-Principal Investigators

Dr. Anura V Kurpad

MD, PhD

Professor, Department of Physiology, St. John's Research Institute, Bengaluru

Dr. Pramod Rajaram Somvanshi

MTech, PhD

Assistant Professor Department of Systems and Computational Biology School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad

Dr. Alvin C. Powers

MD, PhD

Director Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Centre Vanderbilt University Nashville, USA

Dr. K. M. Venkat Narayan

MD, PhD

Executive Director, Emory Global Diabetes Research Center. Professor Global Health, Epidemiology, and Endocrinology Emory University Atlanta, USA

Research Advisory Board

Dr.Nikhil Tandon

MD, PhD

Professor Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, India

Dr. Meredith A. Hawkins

MD, Ms

Professor of Medicine Harold and Muriel Block Chair in Medicine Director, Global Diabetes Institute Co-Director, Einstein-Mt.Sinai Diabetes Research Center Albert Einstein College of Medicine USA

Dr.Richard Oram

MD, PhD

Associate Professor Diabetes UK Harry Keen Fellow NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility University of Exter United Kingdom

Dr.P.Usha Bala

MD

Consultant Diabetes Education and Treatment Center Hyderabad, India

Dr D Nageshwar Reddy

M.D, D.M, D.Sc., FAMS, FRCP, FACG, FASGE, MWGO, MASGE, AGAF, FJGES, FAAAS

Chairman Asian Institute of Gastroenterology & AIG Hospitals Asian Healthcare Foundation Hyderabad, India

Team Members

Dr. P.S.Sushma

PhD

Project Manager Asian Healthcare Foundation

Dr. Vidya Natarajan

PhD

Post-Doctoral Fellow Asian Healthcare Foundation

Devansh Shankar

MSc

Junior Research Fellow Asian Healthcare Foundation

Bharat Jadhav

BTech

Project Assistant Asian Healthcare Foundation

Supporting Physicians

Dr. A.Bhanu Prakash Reddy

MBBS, DNB

Senior Consultant Internal Medicine AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli Hyderabad

Dr.Vasireddy Nayanatara

MD,DM

Consultant Endocrinology and Diabetology AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli Hyderabad

Dr.Kiran Kumar Pasam

MD,DM

Consultant, Endocrinology and Diabetology AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli Hyderabad

Collaborators List

Dr. G V. Rao

MS, MAMS, FRCS

Director Surgical Gastroenterology & Minimally Invasive Surgery Asian Institute of Gastroenterology & AIG Hospitals Asian Healthcare Foundation Hyderabad, India

Dr.R.Pradeep

MS, MCH

Surgical Gastroenterologist Asian Institute of Gastroenterology Hyderabad, India

Dr.Lisa Staimez

PhD, MCH

Associate Research Professor Emory Global Diabetes Research Center Emory University, USA

Dr.Katie C Caote

PhD

Assistant Professor, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics School of Medicine Vanderbilt University, USA

Dr. Shruthi Kulkarni

MBBS, DNB

Associate Professor – General Medicine St. John's Medical College Bengaluru.

Dr.V.V.Ravikanth

PhD

Group Leader Genomics & Sequencing Lab Asian Healthcare Foundation Hyderabad

Dr. P.Pavan Kumar

PhD

Scientist Biomaterial Sciences Lab Asian Healthcare Foundation Hyderabad

Dr. Tej Sowpati

PhD

Scientist Department of Bioinformatics CSIR - Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology Hyderabad

Dr. Apoorva Munigela

MBBS, MD

Senior Consultant Internal Medicine AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli Hyderabad

Dr. Yan Sun

PhD

Professor, Dept of Epidemiology Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, USA

Dr. Manoj Bhasin

PhD, MS

Professor, Emory University School of Medicine Emory University, USA

Supporting Staff

Venu Simhadri

MSc

Senior Technical Officer Asian Healthcare Foundation

V.V.Krishna

MSc

Senior Technical Officer Asian Healthcare Foundation

Dr. Vijay Ketavarapu

MSc, PhD

Post-Doctoral Fellow Asian Healthcare Foundation

Y.Sandhya Rani

Secretary Asian Healthcare Foundation

Mahesh Gomasa

Pharm D

Clinical Research Coordinator Asian Healthcare Foundation

K. Vani

DMLT

Phlebotomist Asian Healthcare Foundation

Supported by

Powered by dyotatech.ai