Among his many research activities, Dr. Orchard is principal investigator of the Epidemiology of Diabetic Complications, a study that since the 1980s has been striving to understand the factors that lead to the complications of type 1 diabetes and how to avoid these complications. Dr. Orchard also has interests in type 2 diabetes and the role of diabetes and insulin resistance in heart disease generally.
Dr. Orchard has published more than 200 scientific papers, served on various review and research committees at the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association (ADA). He is a past associate editor of the ADA journal Diabetes Care.