Alka Kanaya, MD

Human Metabolism Core Director
M_MED-CORE-DGIM
[email protected]
Research Area
Clinical Research
Epi & Intervention
+1 415 353-7900

I have focused my clinical research in the field of type 2 diabetes and obesity and have developed a three-pronged research program that is unified under this theme. The first arm consists of using existing cohort studies to test novel biomarkers that predict diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The second arm is to create a South Asian cohort to study these risk factors in a very high risk group. The final arm is to test behavioral interventions to prevent the onset of diabetes.

The first arm of my research program focuses on understanding novel biomarkers secreted from adipose tissue that may be responsible for the metabolic sequelae associated with obesity. I assayed adiponectin from over 3,000 frozen serum specimens from a longitudinal cohort and have performed a series of analyses finding that abdominal visceral adiposity when directly measured by CT scan is significantly associated with type 2 diabetes and adipocytokines, proteins produced by adipose tissue, explain this association. We have found strong links between visceral adiposity and adipocytokines predicting risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.

The second arm of my research program has been to establish a population-based cohort of South Asian adults. South Asians have very high prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and have been poorly studied. With a K23 grant from the NHLBI, I recruited 150 South Asians in a pilot cohort study which was modelled on the existing Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). In this project, called the Metabolic Syndrome and Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA study), we have examined the relationship between metabolic factors and atherosclerosis measured by carotid ultrasound and coronary artery calcium. We found that compared to the four ethnic groups in MESA (Whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Chinese Americans), South Asians had higher diabetes prevalence[58] despite having favorable lifestyle risk factors. I received additional funding to study endothelial function in this cohort through the American Heart Association and we finished our second clinical examination visits in January 2010. I have been awarded a new R01 grant to expand and prospectively follow this South Asian cohort at two clinical sites to chart the natural history of diabetes and atherosclerosis and test novel risk factors. I have submitted another R01 grant to create a new multi-dimensional tool to measure cultural beliefs and adaptations among South Asian Americans. This project will involve both qualitative and quantitative methods and will help us understand cultural risk factors for cardiovascular disease in this high risk ethnic group.

The third arm includes testing behavioral interventions to prevent diabetes in high risk individuals. We have conducted a translational randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention provided by the Berkeley Public Health Department to decrease diabetes risk factors in low-income ethnic minority groups. I have also completed a pilot randomized controlled trial to test the feasibility of Restorative yoga in overweight adults with the metabolic syndrome. We found that Restorative yoga was feasible with trends toward improvements in waist circumference and blood pressure in the yoga group compared to the control group. I have been awarded an R01 grant to test this intervention vs. a stretching control group in a multicenter randomized controlled trial called PRYSMS which is currently underway.

The three arms of my research agenda complement each other and provide fertile ground to develop and test new hypotheses with the ultimate goal of better caring for patients at high risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Publications

Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Nucleocapsid Antibody Response Among Previously Infected US Adults: The C4R Study.

Open forum infectious diseases

Demmer RT, Wu C, Kim JS, Sun Y, Balte P, Cushman M, Boyle R, Tracy RP, Styer LM, Bell TD, Anderson MR, Allen NB, Schreiner PJ, Bowler R, Schwartz DA, Lee JS, Xanthakis V, Rock JM, Bievenue R, Pirzada A, Doyle M, Regan EA, Make BJ, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Wenzel SE, Coresh J, Isasi CR, Raffield LM, Elkind MSV, Howard VJ, Ortega VE, Woodruff P, Cole SA, Henderson JM, Mantis NJ, Oelsner EC

Classifying COVID-19 hospitalizations in epidemiology cohort studies: The C4R study.

PloS one

Oelsner EC, Krishnaswamy A, Rustamov R, Balte PP, Ali T, Allen NB, Andrews HF, Anugu P, Arynchyn A, Bateman LA, Cai J, Chang H, Chen L, Elkind MSV, Floyd JS, Gabriel KP, Gharib SA, Gutierrez JD, Stukovsky KH, Howard VJ, Isasi CR, Jager L, Jin L, Judd SE, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Kelly MR, Khan SS, Kucharska-Newton A, Lee JS, Levitan EB, Lewis CE, Make BJ, Malloy K, Manly JJ, Mauger D, Min YI, Murabito JM, Murphy CG, Norwood AF, O'Connor GT, Ortega VE, Patel AA, Pirzada A, Regan EA, Ring KB, Rosamond WD, Schwartz DA, Shikany JM, Sotres-Alvarez D, Tarlton C, Tse J, Meneses EMU, Vankineni M, Wenzel SE, Woodruff PG, Xanthakis V, Yang JH, Zakai NA, Zhang Y, Post WS

Epidemiologic Features of Recovery From SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

JAMA network open

Oelsner EC, Sun Y, Balte PP, Allen NB, Andrews H, Carson A, Cole SA, Coresh J, Couper D, Cushman M, Daviglus M, Demmer RT, Elkind MSV, Gallo LC, Gutierrez JD, Howard VJ, Isasi CR, Judd SE, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Kaplan RC, Kinney GL, Kucharska-Newton AM, Lackland DT, Lee JS, Make BJ, Min YI, Murabito JM, Norwood AF, Ortega VE, Pettee Gabriel K, Psaty BM, Regan EA, Sotres-Alvarez D, Schwartz D, Shikany JM, Thyagarajan B, Tracy RP, Umans JG, Vasan RS, Wenzel SE, Woodruff PG, Xanthakis V, Zhang Y, Post WS

Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1 Antibody Response Among Vaccinated US Adults: the C4R Study.

Nature communications

Kim JS, Sun Y, Balte P, Cushman M, Boyle R, Tracy RP, Styer LM, Bell TD, Anderson MR, Allen NB, Schreiner PJ, Bowler RP, Schwartz DA, Lee JS, Xanthakis V, Doyle MF, Regan EA, Make BJ, Kanaya AM, Wenzel SE, Coresh J, Isasi CR, Raffield LM, Elkind MSV, Howard VJ, Ortega VE, Woodruff P, Cole SA, Henderson JM, Mantis NJ, Parker MM, Demmer RT, Oelsner EC

Reflecting on a Year at the Helm of Diabetes Care.

Diabetes care

Kahn SE, Anderson CAM, Buse JB, Selvin E, Angell SY, Aroda VR, Cheng AYY, Danne T, Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, Fitzpatrick SL, Gadgil MD, Gastaldelli A, Gloyn AL, Green JB, Jastreboff AM, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Kovesdy CP, Laiteerapong N, Nadeau KJ, Pettus J, Pop-Busui R, Posey JE, Powe CE, Rebholz CM, Rickels MR, Sattar N, Shaw JE, Sims EK, Utzschneider KM, Vella A, Zhang C

"The Times They Are A-Changin'" at Diabetes Care.

Diabetes care

Kahn SE, Anderson CAM, Buse JB, Selvin E, Angell SY, Aroda VR, Castle JR, Cheng AYY, Danne T, Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, Florez JC, Gadgil MD, Gastaldelli A, Green JB, Jastreboff AM, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Kovesdy CP, Laiteerapong N, Nadeau KJ, Pop-Busui R, Powe CE, Rebholz CM, Rickels MR, Sattar N, Shaw JE, Sims EK, Utzschneider KM, Vella A, Zhang C

Collaborative Cohort of Cohorts for COVID-19 Research (C4R) Study: Study Design.

American journal of epidemiology

Oelsner EC, Krishnaswamy A, Balte PP, Allen NB, Ali T, Anugu P, Andrews H, Arora K, Asaro A, Barr RG, Bertoni AG, Bon J, Boyle R, Chang AA, Chen G, Coady S, Cole SA, Coresh J, Cornell E, Correa A, Couper D, Cushman M, Demmer RT, Elkind MSV, Folsom AR, Fretts AM, Gabriel KP, Gallo L, Gutierrez J, Han MLK, Henderson JM, Howard VJ, Isasi CR, Jacobs DR, Judd SE, Mukaz DK, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Kaplan R, Kinney GL, Kucharska-Newton A, Lee JS, Lewis CE, Levine DA, Levitan EB, Levy B, Make B, Malloy K, Manly JJ, Mendoza-Puccini C, Meyer KA, Min YI, Moll M, Moore WC, Mauger D, Ortega VE, Palta P, Parker MM, Phipatanakul W, Post WS, Postow L, Psaty BM, Regan EA, Ring K, Roger VL, Rotter JI, Rundek T, Sacco RL, Schembri M, Schwartz DA, Seshadri S, Shikany JM, Sims M, Hinckley Stukovsky KD, Talavera GA, Tracy RP, Umans JG, Vasan RS, Watson K, Wenzel SE, Winters K, Woodruff PG, Xanthakis V, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, C R Investigators FT

Knowledge Gaps, Challenges, and Opportunities in Health and Prevention Research for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: A Report From the 2021 National Institutes of Health Workshop.

Annals of internal medicine

Kanaya AM, Hsing AW, Panapasa SV, Kandula NR, G Araneta MR, Shimbo D, Wang P, Gomez SL, Lee J, Narayan KMV, Mala Mau MKL, Bose S, Daviglus ML, Hu FB, Islam N, Jackson CL, Kataoka-Yahiro M, Kauwe JSK, Liu S, Ma GX, Nguyen T, Palaniappan L, Setiawan VW, Trinh-Shevrin C, Tsoh JY, Vaidya D, Vickrey B, Wang TJ, Wong ND, Coady S, Hong Y

Collaborative Cohort of Cohorts for COVID-19 Research (C4R) Study: Study Design.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences

Oelsner EC, Allen NB, Ali T, Anugu P, Andrews H, Asaro A, Balte PP, Barr RG, Bertoni AG, Bon J, Boyle R, Chang AA, Chen G, Cole SA, Coresh J, Cornell E, Correa A, Couper D, Cushman M, Demmer RT, Elkind MSV, Folsom AR, Fretts AM, Gabriel KP, Gallo L, Gutierrez J, Han MK, Henderson JM, Howard VJ, Isasi CR, Jacobs DR, Judd SE, Mukaz DK, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Kaplan R, Krishnaswamy A, Kinney GL, Kucharska-Newton A, Lee JS, Lewis CE, Levine DA, Levitan EB, Levy B, Make B, Malloy K, Manly JJ, Meyer KA, Min YI, Moll M, Moore WC, Mauger D, Ortega VE, Palta P, Parker MM, Phipatanakul W, Post W, Psaty BM, Regan EA, Ring K, Roger VL, Rotter JI, Rundek T, Sacco RL, Schembri M, Schwartz DA, Seshadri S, Shikany JM, Sims M, Hinckley Stukovsky KD, Talavera GA, Tracy RP, Umans JG, Vasan RS, Watson K, Wenzel SE, Winters K, Woodruff PG, Xanthakis V, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, C4R Investigators

The Upcoming Epidemic of Heart Failure in South Asia.

Circulation. Heart failure

Martinez-Amezcua P, Haque W, Khera R, Kanaya AM, Sattar N, Lam CSP, Harikrishnan S, Shah SJ, Kandula NR, Jose PO, Narayan KMV, Agyemang C, Misra A, Jenum AK, Bilal U, Nasir K, Cainzos-Achirica M

Novel loci for adiponectin levels and their influence on type 2 diabetes and metabolic traits: a multi-ethnic meta-analysis of 45,891 individuals.

PLoS genetics

Dastani Z, Hivert MF, Timpson N, Perry JR, Yuan X, Scott RA, Henneman P, Heid IM, Kizer JR, Lyytikäinen LP, Fuchsberger C, Tanaka T, Morris AP, Small K, Isaacs A, Beekman M, Coassin S, Lohman K, Qi L, Kanoni S, Pankow JS, Uh HW, Wu Y, Bidulescu A, Rasmussen-Torvik LJ, Greenwood CM, Ladouceur M, Grimsby J, Manning AK, Liu CT, Kooner J, Mooser VE, Vollenweider P, Kapur KA, Chambers J, Wareham NJ, Langenberg C, Frants R, Willems-Vandijk K, Oostra BA, Willems SM, Lamina C, Winkler TW, Psaty BM, Tracy RP, Brody J, Chen I, Viikari J, Kähönen M, Pramstaller PP, Evans DM, St Pourcain B, Sattar N, Wood AR, Bandinelli S, Carlson OD, Egan JM, Böhringer S, van Heemst D, Kedenko L, Kristiansson K, Nuotio ML, Loo BM, Harris T, Garcia M, Kanaya A, Haun M, Klopp N, Wichmann HE, Deloukas P, Katsareli E, Couper DJ, Duncan BB, Kloppenburg M, Adair LS, Borja JB, DIAGRAM+ Consortium, MAGIC Consortium, GLGC Investigators, MuTHER Consortium, Wilson JG, Musani S, Guo X, Johnson T, Semple R, Teslovich TM, Allison MA, Redline S, Buxbaum SG, Mohlke KL, Meulenbelt I, Ballantyne CM, Dedoussis GV, Hu FB, Liu Y, Paulweber B, Spector TD, Slagboom PE, Ferrucci L, Jula A, Perola M, Raitakari O, Florez JC, Salomaa V, Eriksson JG, Frayling TM, Hicks AA, Lehtimäki T, Smith GD, Siscovick DS, Kronenberg F, van Duijn C, Loos RJ, Waterworth DM, Meigs JB, Dupuis J, Richards JB, Voight BF, Scott LJ, Steinthorsdottir V, Dina C, Welch RP, Zeggini E, Huth C, Aulchenko YS, Thorleifsson G, McCulloch LJ, Ferreira T, Grallert H, Amin N, Wu G, Willer CJ, Raychaudhuri S, McCarroll SA, Hofmann OM, Segrè AV, van Hoek M, Navarro P, Ardlie K, Balkau B, Benediktsson R, Bennett AJ, Blagieva R, Boerwinkle E, Bonnycastle LL, Boström KB, Bravenboer B, Bumpstead S, Burtt NP, Charpentier G, Chines PS, Cornelis M, Crawford G, Doney AS, Elliott KS, Elliott AL, Erdos MR, Fox CS, Franklin CS, Ganser M, Gieger C, Grarup N, Green T, Griffin S, Groves CJ, Guiducci C, Hadjadj S, Hassanali N, Herder C, Isomaa B, Jackson AU, Johnson PR, Jørgensen T, Kao WH, Kong A, Kraft P, Kuusisto J, Lauritzen T, Li M, Lieverse A, Lindgren CM, Lyssenko V, Marre M, Meitinger T, Midthjell K, Morken MA, Narisu N, Nilsson P, Owen KR, Payne F, Petersen AK, Platou C, Proença C, Prokopenko I, Rathmann W, Rayner NW, Robertson NR, Rocheleau G, Roden M, Sampson MJ, Saxena R, Shields BM, Shrader P, Sigurdsson G, Sparsø T, Strassburger K, Stringham HM, Sun Q, Swift AJ, Thorand B, Tichet J, Tuomi T, van Dam RM, van Haeften TW, van Herpt T, van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV, Walters GB, Weedon MN, Wijmenga C, Witteman J, Bergman RN, Cauchi S, Collins FS, Gloyn AL, Gyllensten U, Hansen T, Hide WA, Hitman GA, Hofman A, Hunter DJ, Hveem K, Laakso M, Morris AD, Palmer CN, Rudan I, Sijbrands E, Stein LD, Tuomilehto J, Uitterlinden A, Walker M, Watanabe RM, Abecasis GR, Boehm BO, Campbell H, Daly MJ, Hattersley AT, Pedersen O, Barroso I, Groop L, Sladek R, Thorsteinsdottir U, Wilson JF, Illig T, Froguel P, van Duijn CM, Stefansson K, Altshuler D, Boehnke M, McCarthy MI, Soranzo N, Wheeler E, Glazer NL, Bouatia-Naji N, Mägi R, Randall J, Elliott P, Rybin D, Dehghan A, Hottenga JJ, Song K, Goel A, Lajunen T, Doney A, Cavalcanti-Proença C, Kumari M, Timpson NJ, Zabena C, Ingelsson E, An P, O'Connell J, Luan J, Elliott A, McCarroll SA, Roccasecca RM, Pattou F, Sethupathy P, Ariyurek Y, Barter P, Beilby JP, Ben-Shlomo Y, Bergmann S, Bochud M, Bonnefond A, Borch-Johnsen K, Böttcher Y, Brunner E, Bumpstead SJ, Chen YD, Chines P, Clarke R, Coin LJ, Cooper MN, Crisponi L, Day IN, de Geus EJ, Delplanque J, Fedson AC, Fischer-Rosinsky A, Forouhi NG, Franzosi MG, Galan P, Goodarzi MO, Graessler J, Grundy S, Gwilliam R, Hallmans G, Hammond N, Han X, Hartikainen AL, Hayward C, Heath SC, Hercberg S, Hillman DR, Hingorani AD, Hui J, Hung J, Kaakinen M, Kaprio J, Kesaniemi YA, Kivimaki M, Knight B, Koskinen S, Kovacs P, Kyvik KO, Lathrop GM, Lawlor DA, Le Bacquer O, Lecoeur C, Li Y, Mahley R, Mangino M, Martínez-Larrad MT, McAteer JB, McPherson R, et al

The effects of adiponectin and leptin on changes in bone mineral density.

Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA

Barbour KE, Zmuda JM, Boudreau R, Strotmeyer ES, Horwitz MJ, Evans RW, Kanaya AM, Harris TB, Cauley JA, Health ABC Study

Adipokines and the risk of fracture in older adults.

Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Barbour KE, Zmuda JM, Boudreau R, Strotmeyer ES, Horwitz MJ, Evans RW, Kanaya AM, Harris TB, Bauer DC, Cauley JA

Insulin-like growth factor-1.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Colbert LH, Rosen CJ, Goodpaster BH, Newman AB, Kritchevsky SB, Satterfield S, Kanaya AM, Taaffe DR, Harris TB