June 1, 2026 – Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet (TrialNet), the world’s leading international research network dedicated to the prevention of type 1 diabetes (T1D), today announced the appointment of Michael Haller, MD, as Chair and Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD, as Vice Chair.

• Dr. Haller, Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Florida (UF), succeeds Kevan Herold, MD, from Yale School of Medicine.
• Dr. Evans-Molina, Director of the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, succeeds Linda DiMeglio, MD, MPH, also from IU School of Medicine.

The Chair and Vice Chair serve five-year terms. During the previous term, Dr. Herold and Dr. DiMeglio guided TrialNet as it reached significant milestones, including:

• FDA approval of the first drug (teplizumab) to delay the onset of T1D in people at high risk, based on TrialNet research.
• Screening 250,000 people for autoantibodies that signify T1D risk.
• Establishing a Community Advisory Board to amplify the voices of people impacted by T1D.
• Laying the groundwork for five upcoming clinical trials, including the recently launched RESET T1D Study, testing rezpegaldesleukin in individuals newly diagnosed with T1D.

“We are at a historic turning point,” says Dr. Haller. “After decades of proving that we can modify the pathway of T1D, we are shifting our focus to identifying treatments more quickly. We will accomplish this through increased efficiencies and novel study designs at every stage of the disease.”

Dr. Haller has served as a principal investigator or co-investigator for numerous T1D studies within and outside TrialNet. He has published over 200 manuscripts and more than 20 book chapters.

His interest in T1D research was inspired by his grandfather with T1D and a summer job in a UF lab overseen by T1D pioneer Desmond Schatz, MD. This lab was part of the Diabetes Prevention Trial-Type 1 (DPT-1), a large multi-center clinical trial that demonstrated it was possible to predict who will develop the disease, leading to the creation of TrialNet in 2001.

“It is surreal to be leading TrialNet after starting as a high school student unpacking boxes in the lab," Dr. Haller said. "My research career has been driven by a desire to move the ball forward. We are constantly asking, 'How can we find a better way?' The answer always comes through research. We are closer than ever to discovering therapies that can prevent and potentially reverse this disease."

TrialNet Chair Dr. Michael Haller’s career in T1D research spans three decades. He says we are at a historic turning point. “After decades of proving that we can modify the pathway of T1D, we are shifting our focus to identifying treatments more quickly. We will accomplish this through increased efficiencies and novel study designs at every stage of the disease.”

In addition to supporting Dr. Haller, Vice Chair Dr. Evans-Molina says her focus will be on gathering ideas from members of the TrialNet network and looking for the best ways to leverage the network’s extensive pool of talent.

“One of the most important aspects of TrialNet is the talent within it,” said Dr. Evans-Molina. “We are extremely fortunate to have such a wide range of expertise, from immunologists and beta cell biologists to pediatric and adult endocrinologists. We need to ensure that we are utilizing all this talent and providing opportunities for advancement at every level.”

Dr. Evans-Molina’s research focuses on pancreatic beta cells and the factors leading to their destruction in diabetes. Her work, which earned the 2023 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association, has identified how cellular stress contributes to diabetes, aiding in the development of biomarkers for earlier detection and disease-modifying targets.

Her interest in endocrinology was sparked by her childhood diagnosis of Graves’ disease. She credits her career path in research to several great mentors who taught her to collect and analyze data sets and communicate research effectively. Her career took an important step forward in 2011 when Dr. Linda DiMeglio asked her to join the TrialNet team at IU, opening the path to several leadership opportunities.

TrialNet Vice Chair Dr. Carmella Evans-Molina’s research, which earned the 2023 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association, has identified how cellular stress contributes to diabetes, aiding in the development of biomarkers for earlier detection and disease-modifying targets.

Currently, Dr. Evans-Molina is leading a TrialNet clinical study testing two JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitors to see if they can preserve beta-cell function in people newly diagnosed with T1D. Completion of this study is expected in Spring 2027. She has also chaired TrialNet’s Beta Cell Working Group and the Long-Term Investigative Follow-Up in TrialNet (LIFT) Study. LIFT is the only clinical study in the world following people with T1D before, during, and after diagnosis.

Dr. Haller and Dr. Evans-Molina are eager to build on the current momentum as TrialNet launches a pipeline of new clinical studies and advances the important work initiated by previous leadership. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Haller and Dr. Evans-Molina to their new roles, and in expressing our gratitude to Dr. Herold and Dr. DiMeglio for their dedication and exceptional leadership.