JDRF is creating a future without type 1 diabetes (T1D) by funding and advocating for breakthrough scientific research. One of our strategies is to help promising scientists establish careers in the field of T1D research. The investigators featured here form the newest group to receive early-career funding from JDRF. Meet the future of T1D research.
Future of T1D Research
A goal of Elad Sintov, Ph.D., is to find a way to transplant beta cells without the use of immunosuppressive treatments.
In a small subpopulation of people living with T1D, transplantation of beta cells can be, literally, a life-saver. Unfortunately, they require long-term immunosuppressive treatments, and most of those beta cells will be gone at two years, rendering these people insulin-dependent again. One avenue to overcome this is to produce the beta cells from stem cells, which have been modified to be immune to a cellular attack. In other words, making insulin-producing beta cells unrecognizable to the immune system. That’s what Elad Sintov, Ph.D., is trying to do, with a JDRF postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, sponsored by MilliporeSigma.
Career Development Awards
These awards are designed to attract exceptionally promising investigators early in their faculty careers. In the five-year term of the award, grantees will have the opportunity to position themselves at the leading edge of T1D research, on a subject directly related to JDRF mission goals and research priorities.
Danny Chou, Ph.D.
Development of ultrafast-acting insulin for applications in artificial pancreas
University of Utah
Everett Meyer, M.D., Ph.D.
Developing chimeric antigen receptor T regulatory cells for islet allograft tolerance
Stanford University
Link to blog post
Jeffrey Millman, Ph.D.
Improved generation of stem cell-derived beta cells
Washington University
Link to blog post
Andrew Sutherland, Ph.D.
Type 17 immunity in T1D
St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
Link to blog postEarly Career Patient-Oriented Diabetes Research Awards
These awards are intended for clinical researchers at a relatively early stage of their independent career. Recipients must have an M.D. or M.D.-Ph.D., hold an appointment or joint appointment in a subspecialty of clinical medicine in a clinical department and conduct clinical research.
Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowships
These awards are designed to attract qualified and promising health scientists to receive full-time research training, assisting these promising individuals in the transition from a fellowship to an independent position. This three-year award term has an optional one-year transition award, to serve as a bridge between the fellowship and an independent faculty appointment.
Eleni Beli, Ph.D.
Novel insights on the link between diabetic retinopathy and the splenic clock
Indiana University
Erine Budi, Ph.D.
Integration of increased TGF-beta signaling in the cellular response to insulin or high glucose
University of California, San Francisco
Heather Denroche, Ph.D.
Targeting islet amyloid for diabetes prevention and improved beta cell replacement therapy
The University of British Columbia
Chiara Fabris, Ph.D.
CGM-based insulin sensitivity estimation to improve insulin dosing in T1D
The University of Virginia
Nina Funa, Ph.D.
Identification of signaling pathways controlling expansion of human pancreatic progenitor cells
The Danish Stem Cell Center, The University of Copenhagen
Link to blog post
Manoj Gupta, Ph.D.
Modeling T1D and its associated complications using human induced pluripotent stem cells
Joslin Diabetes Center
Zeno Lavagnino, Ph.D.
Quantitative multiscale imaging to investigate the regulation of glucagon secretion in pancreatic islet
Washington University
Anna Long, Ph.D.
Adult onset T1D: Slow progressors or late starters?
University of Bristol
Adriana Migliorini, Ph.D.
Macrophages-endocrine cross talk during human pancreas development
McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network
Candace Reno, Ph.D.
Preventing severe hypoglycemia-induced cardiac arrhythmias
University of Utah
Xuewei Wang, Ph.D.
Nitric oxide-releasing cannula integrated with glucose electrode for long-term single-port glycemic control
The University of Michigan
Link to blog postPostdoctoral Fellowships
Postdoctoral fellowships are designed to attract qualified, promising scientists in the T1D research field. These recipients are to work with a sponsor who can provide a training environment conducive to beginning a professional career in T1D-related research.
Satoru Akazawa, M.D., Ph.D.
Defining a new role for granzyme A in maintaining immune tolerance
St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
Jenny Aurielle Babon, Ph.D.
Autoreactive CD8 T cell infiltrates from the islets of human subjects with T1D
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Romina Bevacqua, Ph.D.
Innovating genetic studies to promote human islet regeneration
Stanford University
Chandrabali Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
Novel glucose-responsive tripeptides for smart insulin
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Robert Bone, Ph.D.
ER calcium dyshomeostasis in the pathogenesis of T1D
Indiana University
Mijke Buitinga, Ph.D.
Post-translational modification of beta-cell proteins: Towards a better understanding and detection of T1D
KU Leuven, Belgium
Diao Chen, Ph.D.
Development of glucose-responsive insulin derivatives
University of Utah
Yi-Chun Chen, Ph.D.
Alternatively processed forms of islet amyloid polypeptide as predictive biomarkers for T1D
The University of British Columbia
Yen-Shan Chen, Ph.D.
Design of a glucose-responsive insulin based on a conformational switch
Case Western Reserve University
Link to blog post
Devy Deliyanti, Ph.D.
Boosting the immune system to treat diabetic retinopathy
Monash University
Joseph Feduska, Ph.D.
Oxidative post-translational modification of T1D autoantigens
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Laura Jacobsen, M.D.
Characterization of T cell autoreactivity in T1D
University of Florida
Piotr Kowalski, Ph.D.
Engineering mRNA nanocarriers to rescue pancreatic beta cells in T1D
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Link to blog post
Purushothaman Kuppan, Ph.D.
Novel functionalized retrievable scaffolds for islet transplantation
The University of Alberta
Yunxian Liu, Ph.D.
Systematic identification and validation of causal variants and genes targets associated with T1D
The University of Virginia
Wentong Long, Ph.D.
Bioengineering adipocytes for the regulated release of bioactive insulin
The University of Alberta
Silvia Minardi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Multifunctional bio-inspired nanodelivery systems for T1D
Northwestern University
Tobias Neef, Ph.D.
Biodegradable PLG nanoparticles for tolerance induction in T1D
Northwestern University
Kim-Vy Nguyen-Ngoc, Ph.D.
Establishing vascularized human pancreatic islets from hESCs
University of California, San Diego
Vishwendra Patel, Ph.D.
The role of perifornical hypothalamic orexin-glucose inhibited neurons in hypoglycemia awareness
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Kacey Prentice, Ph.D.
Targeting lipid chaperone adipocyte protein 2 (aP2) for the prevention of T1D
Harvard University
Ronan Russell, Ph.D.
Investigating the role of MAFA and MAFB in human beta cell specification and maturation using hESCs as a model
University of California, San Francisco
Shugo Sasaki, M.D., Ph.D.
Protecting insulin-producing beta cell transplants from death and dysfunction, funded by MilliporeSigma
The University of British Columbia
Elad Sintov, Ph.D.
Genetic screening for immune-tolerance inducers in stem cell-derived beta cells for cell replacement therapy of T1D, funded by MilliporeSigma
Harvard University
Link to blog post
Alexandra Smink, Ph.D.
Towards efficacious oxygen exchanging vasculature in a retrievable PDCCL scaffolds for islet transplantation
University Medical Center Groningen
Subhash Tripathi, Ph.D.
Cell specific epigenetic landscape in children with T1D
University of Turku, Finland
Verena van der Heide, M.D.
Mapping the histopathological landscape of the pre-/diabetic human pancreas
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Saurabh Vig, Ph.D.
Role of surface-expressed glucose-regulated protein 78 in beta cells and their cross-talk with the immune system
KU Leuven
Jessica Weaver, Ph.D.
Localized immunomodulation to induce tolerance in an extrahepatic encapsulated islet graft
Georgia Institute of Technology
Link to blog post
Xiaochun Xiong, Ph.D.
Development of an ultrafast-acting insulin
University of Utah
Ebrahim Zadeh, Ph.D.
Targeted delivery of adiponectin receptor agonists for promoting beta cell regeneration and survival
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Psychology Fellowships
These awards are designed to increase the capacity in diabetes clinical psychology and diabetes psychology research. It is a combination of clinical diabetes care and diabetes research, and each recipient should have a career interest in diabetes-specialized psychology.
Lindsay Anderson, M.A.
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Samantha Barry, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Sarah Westen, Ph.D.
Sleep, adherence and glycemic control in adolescents with T1D
University of Florida
JDRF-ISPAD Fellowships
These awards are designed for International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) members below age 40 (or 45 for the Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship), who wish to pursue a career in diabetes related research. It is designed to cover expenses to an ISPAD member’s Centre of Excellence.
Naina Bhat, M.D.
Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship
St John’s Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore, India
Link to blog post
Petter Bjornstadt, M.D.
Diabetic Kidney Alarm study: Tubulopathy in new onset diabetic ketoacidosis
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Colorado, US
Link to blog post
Mohammad Hosny, M.D.
Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship
Mansoura University Children’s Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt
Link to blog post
Wafaa Laymoun, M.D., Ph.D.
Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship
Mansoura University Children’s Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt
Link to blog post
Beata Malachowska, M.D., Ph.D.
Role of lysophosphatidic acid, and elevated serum biomarker, in pathogenesis of HNF1B mediated MODY
Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Link to blog post
Joshua Ngwang Menang, R.N.
Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship
Cameroon Laboratory & Medicine Foundation Health Center, Tiko, Cameroon
Link to blog post
Feny Patel, M.D.
Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship
Clinic Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Link to blog post
Marie Beatrice Saade, M.D.
Efficacy of two carbohydrate intake strategies with similar carbohydrate content but different timing to reduce exercise-induced hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes
Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
Link to blog post
Arun Kumar Singh, M.D.
Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship
B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Link to blog post
Gianluca Tornese, M.D., Ph.D.
Role of "taste" in metabolic regulation in T1D and mapping of mechanistically involved genes and pathways
Institute for Maternal and Child Health “Burlo Garofolo,” Trieste, Italy
Link to blog post