Dr. William Herman — Director of the Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research
His 39-page curriculum vitae would be the first indication that William H. Herman, M.D., M.P.H., is dedicated to his work. The proof lies in his many achievements as an internationally recognized researcher, educator, and clinician in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Herman serves as the Director of the Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research (MCDTR), formerly known as the Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center (MDRTC). The MCDTR is one of only a handful of such centers in the U.S., funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. William Herman
Watch Dr. Herman speak on the broad array of new and tried-and-true treatments that allow those with diabetes to successfully manage their disease.
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Dr. Herman received his medical degree from Boston University in 1979. He completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan, as well as a residency in preventive medicine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. He received his fellowship training in endocrinology, epidemiology, and metabolism at the U-M, joining the U-M faculty as assistant professor of internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology from 1987 to 1991.
Dr. Herman returned to the CDC as chief of the Epidemiology and Statistics Branch in the Division of Diabetes Translation, where he served for several years. In 1995, Dr. Herman accepted the position at the U-M as associate professor of internal medicine and epidemiology and associate medical director of M-CARE.
After serving as the interim director for the MDRTC, Dr. Herman became the center’s permanent director in 2005. In the same year, he was also the recipient of a professorship named after the MDRTC’s first director, Dr. Stefan S. Fajans.
Dr. Herman’s past and present research has focused on clinical, epidemiologic, and health services research in diabetes. His work includes the following:
- Consultant for the American Diabetes Association and the World Health Organization. He co-authored the ADA’s technical review on screening for diabetes in nonpregnant adults and was recently named as the recipient of the American Diabetes Association’s Kelly West Award for Outstanding Achievement in Epidemiology.
- Consultant to the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office in Egypt and Bahrain. His contributions to the knowledge of the epidemiology of diabetes and public health in Egypt were recognized in 1999 with an Egyptian Diabetes Association Medal. That same year, he received an American Diabetes Association Award for his efforts to develop the Arab American Coalition of the ADA.
- Principal investigator for Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes, (TRIAD), a multi-center study examining the impact of health plan and provider group structure and organization on the processes and outcomes of diabetes care.
- Steering committee member of A Diabetes Outcome Progression Trial (ADOPT) a global, randomized, controlled clinical trial designed to compare the efficacy and safety of initial monotherapies in patients with recently diagnosed, drug naïve, type 2 diabetes and Goal A1c (Glycemic Optimization with Algorithms and Labs at point-of-care), a large primary care-based study designed to assess the impact of point-of-care testing on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Aside from his research, Dr. Herman is a well-respected diabetes educator. He has given over 125 invited lectures around the world, and has published eight books, 26 book chapters and almost 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He has also served as associate editor for the journals Clinical Diabetes and Diabetes Care.
As a clinician, Dr. Herman has cared for thousands of patients and sees firsthand the benefits of clinical research to develop better treatments and prevention strategies that will lead to fewer complications for his current and future patients. “It’s now well-proven from scientific studies that diabetes control matters, and that better glucose control over years and decades is associated with a reduced risk of complications affecting the eyes, the kidneys, the nerves, heart and blood vessels.” Furthermore, Herman states, "We shouldn't be asking if we can afford to reach out to every at-risk person and help them reduce their risk. The real question is ... can we afford not to?"
