photo of Koulmanda, Maria

Maria Koulmanda, PhD

Non Paid Employee
Research Operations
Contact Information
Office:   CL-0609
Phone:   617-735-2882
Fax:   617-735-2903
Address:    330 Brookline Ave; CL-0609
 Boston, MA 02215
Advanced Degree And Training
Year Institution Area or Rank
1997 Leicester+University+%28UK%29 Transplantation+Biology
Research Lab Team Members
   Dusan Hanidziar MD      
Areas of Interest
2 Metabolic      
Major Research Theme
The goal of my research is to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes by transplanting allogeneic or xenogeneic (pig) islets, without the need of continuous immunosuppression. The full potential of islet cell transplantation to prevent complications of Type 1 Diabetes cannot be achieved if daily immunosuppressive therapy is required. Insulin is safer. Thus, we are creating strategies for restoring self-tolerance to islets as a means to prevent recurrent autoimmunity and to achieve tolerance to foreign islets. Indeed many patients with Type 2 Diabetes eventually require insulin therapy and may also be suitable candidates for islet transplantation should tolerance be achieved.
External Recognition
1. Invited Speaker.  “A short-term treatment with ‘power mix’ prolonged allogeneic islet graft in diabetic cynomolgus monkeys”; 8th Cell Transplant Society; Milan, Italy 2006
2. Lecture; “Current Issues in Pancreatic Islet Transplantation”. 8th Annual Research Symposium of the New England Hellenic Medical and Dental Society. Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, 2006.
3. Lecture; “Diabetes is Dangerous”. 7th New England Regional Workshop, Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus. Woods Hole Massachusetts, October 2006      
4. Lecture; “New strategy of tolerance induction in non-human primates”; Austin Research Institute; Melbourne, Australia, 2007             
5. Invited Speaker;  Ablation of insulitis and restoration T cell tolerance is necessary but  insufficient to cure T1DM      ; The XXII Internationl Congress of Transplanplantion Society; Sydney, Australia 2008
             
Investigator's Lab Web Site
Research Lab URL     None listed
Harvard Catalyst Site:     Koulmanda Harvard Catalyst Web Site