Josep Mercader, Ph.D.
Associate Member
Josep Mercader is an associate member at the Ó³»´«Ã½ of MIT and Harvard and the principal investigator of the Group of Discovery and Translational Genomics for Type 2 Diabetes Across Diverse Populations. He is a researcher in the Diabetes Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and a core member of the Ó³»´«Ã½ Diabetes Initiative.
Mercader is a geneticist and investigator whose work bridges large-scale human genomics with translational medicine in diabetes. His research centers on the genetic architecture of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic traits, with a strong emphasis on diverse populations to promote equitable precision medicine. He has led and co-led international efforts to develop and evaluate polygenic risk scores across ancestries; dissect rare and recessive genetic contributions to type 2 diabetes, complications, and pharmacologic response; and integrate omics resources to interpret genetic variation associated with the disease.
Mercader plays active leadership roles in collaborative initiatives worldwide and mentors trainees in genomic medicine, with the overarching goal to study genetics in diverse populations to reduce health disparities.
October 2025
