A Miller School of Medicine Student’s Quest to Cure Type 1 Diabetes
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Article Summary
- Andrew Gotschall’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis motivated him to become a doctor and cure the disease.
- As an undergraduate student, Gotschall joined a biomedical engineering lab to explore whether skin cells could be transformed into insulin-producing β cells.
- He also traveled to Ghana, where his motivation increased after seeing young patients suffer due to a lack of diabetes medication.
Andrew Gotschall’s path to medicine began at 14, when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now he’s pursuing an M.D/Ph.D. degree at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with one goal in mind: To help cure the very condition that changed his life.
Growing up in Carrollton, Ohio, Gotschall speaks with the clarity of someone who has lived his mission.
“I knew I would only do type 1 research,” he said. “This is my thing. I live it every day.”
A biomedical science pilot program at his high school gave him a lifeline and a launchpad. He wrote a thesis, presented posters and earned a coveted spot in The Ohio State University’s Biomedical Science program, a selective pre-medical track housed within the College of Medicine.
Building Beta Cells from Skin
Once at The Ohio State University, Gotschall wasted no time pursuing his passion.
He joined a biomedical engineering lab focused on cellular reprogramming and helped develop a bold idea: Could skin cells be transformed into insulin-producing β cells? For the next four years, he, his mentors and his trainees built the project from scratch. The result: a proof-of-concept that demonstrates the feasibility of skin to β-like cell reprogramming.
The implications have the potential to be profound.
“Ultimately, we were attempting to model what could happen if we took cells from, for example, a diabetic patient’s arm. Hypothetically, could we reprogram them into β cells and then retransplant them superficially or subcutaneously?” Gotschall explained. “The patient, in theory, wouldn’t require any type of immunosuppression or face any type of transplant rejection from their own cells that continue to present outward skin characteristics.”
The project is now nearing publication. Gotschall’s undergraduate thesis earned him honors in medicine and honors research distinction in biomedical science.
“There is still a lot of research needed to make this translatable,” he said. “But we’ve shown that this concept could work. Possibilities like these are what motivate me to continue researching type 1 diabetes.”
A Global Perspective
While his research was gaining traction, Gotschall’s worldview was expanding. His leadership in The Ohio State University’s Doctors Without Borders student organization led him to spend four consecutive summers in Ghana, West Africa. He collaborated with local medical professionals to establish rural free clinics, distribute medical donations and shadow local physicians.
The experience was transformative.
“I saw kids my age, with the disease I battle, on pre-operation tables waiting for amputations because they couldn’t access insulin and control their diabetes,” he said. “It flipped my perspective on this disease upside down.”
That shift now defines his approach to medicine.
“Seeing the cure in a publication isn’t enough,” he said. “The job is not finished until an affordable and accessible cure reaches the people who need it most.”
The Road Ahead
Gotschall’s decision to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. at the Miller School was deliberate. He chose Miami for its clinical integration and research excellence at the school’s Diabetes Research Institute.
“I remember writing in my application, ‘I am overwhelmed by the expertise here,’” he said. “And now I’m here. It’s surreal.”
Now living in Miami and preparing for the John G. Clarkson Freshman White Coat and Pinning Ceremony, Gotschall is focused on the future.
“This has always felt like the only path,” he said. “It’s a long road, but I can’t see it any other way.”
Tags: Department of Medical Education, diabetes, Diabetes Research Institute, DRI, islet cell transplantation, medical education