Sparked by a visionary gift, Emory’s Diabetes Translational Accelerator empowers young scientists to turn fresh ideas into affordable solutions for a global epidemic. 

Three decades after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared diabetes an epidemic, the disease continues to surge and affects more than half a billion people worldwide. While promising new treatments like GLP-1 agonists are gaining attention, they’re only part of the solution. Preventing and managing diabetes on a global scale requires innovation that’s affordable, accessible and culturally relevant.

Recognizing both the urgency and the opportunity, Subramonian Shankar — a tech entrepreneur and the founder of the Lakshan Foundation — is putting bold ideas into motion through strategic philanthropy. Through a $3 million gift to Emory, he established the Lakshmi and Subramonian Shankar Fellowship, the cornerstone of Emory’s Diabetes Translational Accelerator. The fellowship supports PhD students working at the intersection of science, public health and entrepreneurship.

For Shankar, the work is personal. Born in India, where diabetes is widespread and care often out of reach, he was drawn to Emory’s commitment to global solutions.

“A crucial aspect of the program is facilitating collaboration with others who possess innovative research skills similar to those of Emory students,” Shankar says. “It’s a global initiative.” Fellows receive funding, mentorship and access to the Shankar Innovation Fund, helping them move ideas from lab to market. Projects range from smartphone-based vascular screening tools to mRNA therapies to a mobile app supporting gestational diabetes management.

The program also partners with IIT Madras, one of India’s premier institutes for science and engineering, giving students the opportunity to test and adapt their innovations in diverse, real-world settings. That global reach ensures the technology they develop can scale — and serve communities most in need.

“Thanks to Shankar’s vision and generosity, we are able to support innovative young minds. And we hope to create technologies that are culturally appropriate, affordable and ready for deployment at scale,” says Venkat Narayan, executive director of the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center and Ruth and O. C. Hubert Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at Rollins School of Public Health.

By backing early-stage thinkers with big ideas, Shankar is helping Emory accelerate progress against one of the world’s most pressing health challenges.