Anna Kahkoska, MD, PhD

Anna Kahkoska focuses her expertise on precision health approaches for the care and management of diabetes. Her research in this area has identified and evaluated clinically relevant phenotypes of type 1 diabetes in youth and young adulthood using observational cohort and randomized trial data. She has additional expertise in nutrition, obesity, and health disparities in the context of diabetes management and outcomes.

Dr. Kahkoska is currently a scholar in the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute Gene Orringer Junior Faculty Career Development (KL2) Program. As a KL2 scholar, she is studying how to integrate systems science approaches, including tools for mapping and modeling the factors that shape health-related outcomes, with precision health analytics to improve care for older adults with diabetes.

Honors and Awards

Pathway to Stop Diabetes® Accelerator Award

2023, American Diabetes Association

Healthy Longevity Global Competition Catalyst Award

2022, National Academy of Medicine

Gene Orringer Junior Faculty Career Development (TraCS KL2) Program Scholar

2021, North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute

Young Investigator of Excellence in Precision Health

2020, Precision Medicine Leaders’ Summit

George A. Bray Doctoral Dissertation Award

2019, The Obesity Society

Clinical Emerging Leader Award Competition, First Place

2018, American Society for Nutrition

Research Activities

• Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
• Aging and Older Adults
• Precision Health Analytics
• Stakeholder-Engaged System Mapping
• Health Equity
• Team-Based Science

Key Publications

“Nothing is linear”: Characterizing the determinants and dynamics of CGM use in older adults with type 1 diabetes. Kahkoska AR, Smith C, Thambuluru S, Weinstein J, Batsis JA, Pratley R, Weinstock RS, Young LA, Lich KH. (2023). Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.
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Systems-Aligned Precision Medicine—Building an Evidence Base for Individuals Within Complex Systems. Kahkoska, Anna R., Nikki LB Freeman, and Kristen Hassmiller Lich. (2022). JAMA Health Forum, 3(7).
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The Impact of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Diabetes Management on Clinical Outcomes: A Reinforcement Learning Analysis of Health Inequity Among Youth and Young Adults in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Kahkoska AR, Pokaprakarn T, Alexander GR, et al Diabetes Care, 2022(dc210496).
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Validation of distinct type 2 diabetes clusters and their association with diabetes complications in the DEVOTE, LEADER and SUSTAIN-6 cardiovascular outcomes trials. Kahkoska AR, Geybels MS, Klein KR, Kreiner FF, Marx N, Nauck MA, Pratley RE, Wolthers BO, Buse JB (2020). Diabetes Obes Metab, 22(9), 1537-1547.
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Longitudinal Phenotypes of Type 1 Diabetes in Youth Based on Weight and Glycemia and Their Association With Complications. Kahkoska AR, Nguyen CT, Adair LA, Aiello AE, Burger KS, Buse JB, Dabelea D, Dolan LM, Malik FS, Mottl AK, Pihoker C, Reboussin BA, Sauder KA, Kosorok MR, Mayer-Davis EJ (1970). J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 104(12), 6003-6016.
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Identification of clinically relevant dysglycemia phenotypes based on continuous glucose monitoring data from youth with type 1 diabetes and elevated hemoglobin A1c. Kahkoska AR, Adair LA, Aiello AE, Burger KS, Buse JB, Crandell J, Maahs DM, Nguyen CT, Kosorok MR, Mayer-Davis EJ (2019). Pediatr Diabetes, 20(5), 556-566.
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Education

MD, Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2021

PhD, Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2019

BS, Biochemistry, Syracuse University, 2013