Sansum Diabetes Research Institute – Latino Diabetes Community Scientists
Type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States, with higher rates of disease and related complications compared with the broader population. These disparities are influenced by a combination of factors including access to care, social determinants of health, health literacy and limited participation in clinical research. Addressing these challenges requires approaches that strengthen community engagement and improve access to understandable, relevant health information.
The Elsevier Foundation partnered with the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, an organization with a long history of advancing diabetes research, care and education, to support an initiative focused on strengthening community-led research and improving access to understandable diabetes information. The collaboration aimed to empower local “Community Scientists”—known as Especialistas—to participate in research activities and help translate complex medical knowledge into practical insights that could benefit Hispanic and Latino communities.
Through this partnership, the initiative explored how community leadership, digital health technologies and research participation could work together to reduce the disproportionate burden of diabetes and strengthen health equity.
What we do
The partnership supported the development of a community-based research model in which trained Especialistas—community health champions drawn from the local Hispanic/Latino population—played a central role in the program. These Community Scientists helped build trust between researchers and participants, supported recruitment and retention in research studies and contributed cultural insight to ensure that materials and approaches were relevant and accessible.
A central component of the initiative was the Mil Familias study, a longitudinal research program involving hundreds of individuals living with type 2 diabetes. The study explored how a range of factors—including genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological and environmental influences—affect the progression of diabetes and related cardiovascular risks.
Participants contributed data through health questionnaires and wearable technologies that captured real-world health information such as blood glucose levels, physical activity and sleep patterns. The program also examined how social conditions, food access and lifestyle factors shape long-term health outcomes.
In addition to research activities, the program worked to make scientific findings more accessible to the community. Recent diabetes research and clinical guidelines were translated into clear, understandable summaries in both English and Spanish, helping reduce barriers to health information and improving community health literacy.
How we deliver
The initiative combined community engagement, digital health technologies and research training to create a collaborative model for diabetes research and education.
Community Scientists were trained to help implement research tools, support data collection and interpret findings in ways that resonated with participants and their communities. Their involvement helped strengthen community trust and increased participation in research initiatives.
The program also included complementary activities that explored the relationship between nutrition and health outcomes, including participation in a food-as-medicine program that examined the effects of increased access to fresh vegetables on cardiometabolic and psychosocial wellbeing.
Through these activities, the partnership generated new insights into the complex factors influencing diabetes outcomes while strengthening community engagement in research. The collaboration demonstrated how participatory approaches and accessible knowledge sharing can help advance health equity and support more inclusive diabetes research.
