Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

As one of the University of Miami’s longest supporters, the foundation has a unique partnership with the UM Miller School of Medicine dating back nearly 40 years.

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) was created for one reason—to cure diabetes. As one of the University of Miami’s longest supporters, the foundation has had a unique partnership with the UM Miller School of Medicine dating back to 1973.

Founded just two years earlier in 1971 by a small group of parents with a dedication to finding a cure for their children with diabetes, the DRIF spearheaded the effort to create a Center of Excellence for diabetes research, patient care, and education at the University of Miami, and recruited a multidisciplinary faculty to conduct pioneering research. This first-of-its-kind center at UM has evolved into the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI).

The Diabetes Research Institute has become the world leader it is today through the substantial funding provided by the DRIF.

The foundation’s early and ongoing support helped shape the DRI as a world leader in cure-focused research, with a shared mission to cure diabetes in our lifetime. As the University of Miami’s single largest donor, the DRIF has provided more than $225 million in support for translational research at the DRI—ensuring that promising findings in the lab are applied to patients in the fastest, safest, and most efficient way possible.

The Diabetes Research Institute has become the world leader it is today through the substantial funding provided by the DRIF. Supported by private philanthropy, the foundation ensures the jumpstarting of new ideas and the continuation of innovative research projects that remain cure-focused and will ultimately benefit those with diabetes.

The DRI is regarded as a pioneer in islet cell transplantation, which remains the most promising approach to curing diabetes by restoring natural insulin production. Continued support from the DRIF has allowed researchers to pursue innovative and cutting-edge cell-based therapies aimed at curing this disease. Through these research projects, DRI scientists are aggressively working to shrink the timeline toward the discovery of a biological cure for diabetes.

In recognition of the unique, longstanding partnership between the DRIF and UM, the foundation has made the lead gift to the University of Miami’s Momentum2 campaign in the amount of $100 million. This commitment underscores the foundation’s extraordinary dedication to supporting the research that will cure diabetes and to ensuring that the Momentum2 campaign will be a success. It also serves as a challenge to other donors to join them in changing lives and saving lives through the leading-edge medical research being conducted at the UM Miller School of Medicine.

Member of Anastasia Society

Diabetes Research Institute
Camillo Ricordi, the scientific director and chief academic officer of the University of Miami Diabetes Research Institute, is renowned for his pioneering work in islet cell transplantation, one of the most promising treatment strategies for diabetes.