Diabetes Science Project Ideas

Here's how.

If you have diabetes or know someone who does, you may be especially interested in doing a science project that explores a specific angle of diabetes. From the data you may be collecting with your continuous glucose monitor and carb counting to the ways in which factors like exercise affect blood glucose to technology and engineering related to diabetes tools and devices, there are all kinds of exciting projects you can explore.

Science Projects

Food Science, Glucose, and Carbohydrates

Measuring Glucose in Food	How Many Sugars in a Smoothie?	Uncovering Hidden Sugar	Comparing Sugar Substitutes

Use a color-change test to see the concentration of glucose in fruits and juices.	Why do some ingredients cause less of a rise in blood sugar than others?	What does digestion have to do with how much glucose we absorb from different foods?	Adapt this project to compare the impact of different sugar substitutes on blood sugar.

Health and Human Biology

What are the Odds?	Blood Sugar Balancing Act	Electrolyte Challenge	10,000 Steps a Day
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Use a model to investigate how a person's genetics affect their chances of getting Type 1 Diabetes.	Investigate how blood glucose levels change with exercise and how the effect may vary person to person.	Electrolytes are important for all athletes. How do different sugar-free electrolyte drinks compare?	Can you create a diabetes-related project based on wearing a fitness tracker?

Engineering, Bioengineering, and Computer Science

Developing an Artificial Pancreas	Making a Personal Medicine App	Why Aren't All Medicines Pills?	Diabetes: The Teaching Game

Build a model of an artificial pancreas and explore the challenges involved in this kind of system.	Make it your own! What kind of reminder app might help a person with diabetes?	Use jello shapes to model insulin and explore why some medicines work in pill form and others do not.	Adapt this project to create a game that teaches about diabetes. See also: An Ocean-Friendly Fishing Video Game.

Learn More About Diabetes

Diabetes on the Science Buddies Blog


Student Biomedical Engineering Projects with Real-world Connections	Fostering Diabetes Awareness through Student STEM	Science, Biochemistry, and Sugar	More Diabetes Science on the Blog

Diabetes Science News


Altered lipid metabolism following childbirth predicts later diabetes risk	Novel diabetes drug candidate shows promising properties in human islets and mouse models	Study links stress hormone with higher blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes	City of Hope: Mechanism that may lead to metabolic memory/sustained diabetes complications


Insulin cost-sharing caps may help kids, young adults with type 1 diabetes	Study finds link between too much or too little sleep and increased death rates in patients with or without diabetes	Move over Akita: Introducing 'Kuma mutant' mice for islet transplantation research	Study pinpoints brain cells that trigger sugar cravings and consumption

Diabetes Related Careers

STEM Career Related to Diabetes: Educator

Certified Diabetes Educator

Endocrinologist

Epidemiologist

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