Michelle F. Magee

As director of the MedStar Diabetes Institute (MDI), Dr. Magee leads and supports diabetes ambulatory and inpatient clinical, education, and research programs across the MedStar Health system and in the communities it serves.

As an endocrinologist trained in internal medicine, Dr. Magee focuses on high-risk, minority, and underserved populations with or at risk for diabetes. She is primarily interested in research initiatives that optimize care for persons with diabetes in the innovation and technology realms.

Dr. Magee has participated as an investigator in more than 50 clinical studies, including the landmark NIH Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and Women’s Health Initiative studies. She is the MedStar Principal Investigator for the NIH Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study 4 (DPP-OS). She served as a co-principal investigator for the NIH Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation Type 2 Diabetes Study at MWHC and for Changing the Healthcare Delivery Model: A Community Health Worker/Mobile Chronic Care Team Strategy, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and conducted in collaboration with George Washington and Howard Universities.

Her medical degree is from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. After her residency in internal medicine, Dr. Magee completed her fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism at George Washington University.

Research Interests

Dr. Magee's research interests include the following:

  • Type 2 diabetes care management
  • Diabetes technology
  • Diabetes self-care management education and support
  • Diabetes pharmacotherapies
  • Reducing disparities in diabetes care
  • Hospital management of diabetes
  • CVD, Hypertension, and related co-morbidities

Selected Research

NIH Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPP-OS)

The landmark DPP study, which began in 1996, demonstrated that lifestyle modification with the goals of at least a 7 percent weight loss and at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week reduced the incidence of conversion from pre-diabetes to diabetes by 58% and that metformin reduced conversion by 31% over a mean f/u period of 2.8 years. Fully 45% of DPP participants were from minority groups disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and American Indians. The trial also recruited other groups at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, including individuals age 60 and older, women with a history of gestational diabetes, and people with a first-degree relative with type 2 diabetes. The MHRI DPP site - Robert Ratner, MD, PI, Michelle Magee, MD, Sub-I - served as a high minority enroller for this study. The DPP-OS is an ongoing longitudinal follow-up study of the DPP funded by NIH since 2002. The DPP-OS has examined whether the short-term benefits of delaying diabetes demonstrated in the DPP would translate into long-lasting impact. The current Phase, 4 of the DPP-OS, examines pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes and their relationships with aging, cognitive function, Alzheimer’s and Alzheimers-related disorders. Dr. Magee serves as the PI for the MHRI DPP-OS site.

Diabetes Chatbot

Digital chatbot technology can increase access and engagement in diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES). Evidence supporting the case for chatbot uptake and efficacy in people with diabetes (PWD) is needed. A diabetes education and support chatbot was deployed in the MedStar Health System. Adults with type 2 diabetes have an A1C of 8.0-8.9% and recently completed a 12-week diabetes care management program (Boot Camp). Weekly chats included knowledge assessment, limited self-reporting of blood glucose data and medication-taking behaviors, and education content (short videos and printable materials). A clinician-facing dashboard identified the need for escalation via flags based on participant responses. This diabetes education chatbot pilot demonstrated acceptability, satisfaction, and engagement among participants, plus preliminary evidence of improved self-care confidence and A1C improvement with a mean drop in A1C of -1.04 % for the intervention, whereas those completing one chat or less had a mean increase in A1C of +0.09% (p=0.008).

Research Areas


  • Cardiovascular
    Endocrine/Diabetes/Lipids
    Health Services/Quality/Outcomes
    Medical Education