The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

Dr Hanson joined the Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch in 1991.

The Branch conducts research on the causes and correlates of type 2 diabetes, obesity and diabetic complications.  Dr Hanson’s research has focused on the epidemiology of these diseases, particularly on the genetic and molecular aspects, in American Indian and other populations.  Genetic and non-genetic risk factors for diabetes, obesity and complications of diabetes are being studied using classical techniques of epidemiology.  The potential genetic causes of these diseases are also studied using the techniques of genetic epidemiology, including studies of variants in DNA in families and in populations.  Studies of gene transcription, protein expression and cellular metabolism are also being pursued. The Branch is studying the effect lifestyle interventions to promote weight loss on prevention of diabetes and its complications.

1.        Hanson RL, Narayan KMV, McCance DR, Pettitt DJ, Jacobsson LTH, Bennett PH, Knowler WC.  Rate of weight gain, weight fluctuation and incidence of non‑insulin‑dependent diabetes mellitus.  Diabetes.  1995;  44:  261-266.

2.        Hanson RL, Elston RC, Pettit DJ, Bennett PH, Knowler WC.  Segregation analysis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians: evidence for a major gene effect.  Am J Hum Genet.  1995;  57:  160-170.

3.        Hanson RL, Ehm MG, Pettitt DJ, Prochazka M, Thompson DB, Timberlake D, Foroud T, Kobes S, Baier L, Burns DK, Almasy L, Blangero J, Garvey WT, Bennett PH, Knowler WC.  An autosomal genomic scan for loci linked to type II diabetes mellitus and body-mass index in Pima Indians.   Am J Hum Genet.  1998; 63: 1130-1138.

4.        Hanson RL, Pratley RE, Bogardus C, Narayan KMV, Roumain J, Imperatore G, Fagot-Campagna A, Pettitt DJ, Bennett PH, Knowler WC.  Evaluation of simple indices of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion for use in epidemiologic studies.  Am J Epidemiol.  2000; 151: 190-198.

5.        Hanson RL, Kobes S, Lindsay RS, Knowler WC.  Assessment of parent-of-origin effects in linkage analysis of quantitative traits.  Am J Hum Genet.  2001; 68: 951-962.

6.        Hanson RL, Imperatore G, Bennett PH, Knowler WC.  Components of the “metabolic syndrome” and incidence of type 2 diabetes.  Diabetes. 2002; 51:3120-3127.

7.        Hanson RL, Looker HC, Ma L, Muller YL, Baier LJ, Knowler WC.  Design and analysis of genetic association studies to finely map a locus identified by linkage analysis: sample size and power calculations.  Ann Hum Genet 2006; 70: 332‑349.

8.        Hanson RL, Craig DW, Millis MP, Yeatts KA, Kobes S, Pearson JV, Lee AM, Knowler WC, Nelson RG, Wolford JK.  Identification of PVT1 as a candidate gene for end-stage renal disease in type 2 diabetes by a pooling-based genome-wide SNP association study.  Diabetes. 2007; 56: 975-983.

9.        Hanson RL, Bogardus C, Duggan D, Kobes S, Knowlton M, Infante AM, Marovich L, Benitez D, Baier LJ, Knowler WC.  A search for variants associated with young-onset type 2 diabetes in American Indians in a 100K genotyping array.  Diabetes. 2007; 56: 3045-3052.

10.     Hanson RL, Knowler WC.  Design and analysis of genetic association studies to finely map a locus identified by linkage analysis: assessment of the extent to which an association can account for the linkage.  Ann Hum Genet. 2008; 72: 126‑139.

11.     Rong R, Hanson RL, Ortiz D, Wiedrich C, Kobes S, Knowler WC, Bogardus C, Baier LJ.  Association analysis of variation in /near FTO, CDKAL1, SLC30A8, HHEX, EXT2, IGF2BP2, LOC387761 and CDKN2B with type 2 diabetes and related quantitative traits in Pima Indians.  Diabetes. 2009; 58:478-488. 

12.     Traurig M, Mack J, Hanson RL, Ghoussaini M, Meyre D, Knowler WC, Kobes S, Froguel P, Bogardus C, Baier LJ.  Common variation in SIM1 is reproducibly associated with body mass index in Pima Indians.  Diabetes. 2009; 58:1682‑1689.

13.     Franks PW, Hanson RL, Knowler WC, Sievers ML, Bennett PH, Looker HC.  Childhood obesity, other cardiovascular risk factors, and premature death.  New Engl J Med 2010; 362: 485-493.

14.     Hanson RL, Millis MP, Young NJ, Kobes S, Nelson RG, Knowler WC, DiStefano JK.  ELMO1 variants and susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy in American Indians.  Molec Genet Metab.  2010;.

15.     Hanson RL, Nelson RG, Knowler WC.  Public health genomics of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications.  In:  Narayan KMV, Williams D, Gregg EW, Cowie CC, eds.  Diabetes Public Health: From Data to Policy. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2010, pp 665-686.