Research Interests
The Benninger lab is a multi-disciplinary team of scientists who are guided by engineering principles and technologies to study the endocrine pancreas (islets of Langerhans). With mechanistic knowledge underlying the dynamics of islet function and hormone release, we can develop diagnostics and therapeutic interventions to effectively manage, cure and prevent diabetes. Towards this goal the lab combines novel optical imaging and ultrasound imaging approaches to study the function of the islets of Langerhans over multiple levels of organization, and how function is disrupted in diabetes. Our research includes: 1) Systems biophysics of the islet of Langerhans in diabetes; 2) Electrical synapse (gap junction channel) plasticity; 3) Cell heterogeneity and emergent multicellular properties of the islet; 4) Advanced optical microscopy and ultrasound imaging; 5) Imaging diagnostics for type 1 diabetes.