Featured Speaker: Dr. Tarik K. Yuce, Indiana CTSI K12 Scholar
Tarik K. Yuce, MD, MS, is an assistant professor of surgery in the Department of Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine and a current Indiana CTSI K12 scholar.
“Through the K12 program, I’ve had the opportunity to refine my research questions, strengthen my grantsmanship skills, and build crucial collaborations within and outside my institution,” said Yuce, who started the program in 2024.
He will share his research at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) on November 21. The meeting theme is “Moving the Needle: Treating Diabetes Together.”
Yuce’s talk, “Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Reframing Obesity Treatment in the Modern Era,” will examine the evolving landscape of obesity treatment. This includes novel medical therapies, surgical interventions, and lifestyle modifications, as well as ways for physicians to identify the most effective treatment modalities to patients based on their individual circumstances. He will discuss how new knowledge about obesity pathophysiology, better medicines, and improved surgical techniques are changing the way doctors should talk to and care for patients. He will also explore the relationship between obesity and diabetes management and why interdisciplinary approaches are necessary to treat these conditions.
Yuce says the Indiana CTSI K12 Scholar program has been “transformative” for his growth as a physician scientist. He cited the program’s structured mentorship protected research time, and rigorous training in research methodology in helping him develop an independent research program.
“I’ve had an incredibly positive experience within the K12 program,” he said. “The program’s greatest asset is the wealth of experienced investigators who are invested in your success. The leadership is available to provide valuable research, clinical, and general life advice. These mentorship relationships will not only shape your K12 project, but your entire career trajectory.”
The K12 awards are available to clinician-scientists with either an MD or PhD, who hold a full-time faculty position but have not yet been a principal investigator on an R01 or equivalent grant. These awards are designed to provide promising early career faculty the opportunity to be mentored in research-intensive, multi-disciplinary settings toward the goal of developing independent careers in clinical-translational research.
Register to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting on November 21 to hear from Yuce and other research leaders who are shaping our understanding of diabetes and how to treat it.
