Nicole Johnson, DrPH, MPH, MA

National Director of Mission at JDRF, Miss America 1999, Diagnosed with T1D at age 19

Nicole Johnson, DrPH, MPH, MA has worked in diabetes for over 20 years. Although she is most well known for her time as Miss America 1999 when she brought awareness to diabetes by sharing her personal story, she has gained a reputation most recently for her engagement in diabetes research focused on quality of life, psychosocial issues, and family dynamics.

Nicole is the National Director of Mission at JDRF where she uses her behavioral science, public health and communications background to drive strategies for population engagement and understanding.

Over the years, Nicole has served on many diabetes advisory boards including the Florida Governor’s Diabetes Advisory Council, the NIH Council of Public Representatives and the national boards for both the American Diabetes Association and JDRF.

In her journalism career, Nicole won a Telly Award for her work on the CNBC diabetes talk show dLife. Her love of journalism lead her to be a columnist for numerous diabetes magazines ,as well as the author of 8 books related to diabetes. Her most recent book is What to Do When Your Partner Has Diabetes: A Survival Guide.

She has a Doctor of Public Health degree, as well as two master’s degrees in Public Health and Communication. She and her daughter live in St. Petersburg, FL.

Elias Ashooh

Student and Leader of College Diabetes Network Chapter at Providence College, Living with T1D since age 17

Elias was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17 during the summer going into his senior year of high school. He has been a camp counselor at Camp Carefree, an overnight summer camp for children with type 1 diabetes, for the past three summers. He is currently a junior at Providence College (PC) majoring in Public Service and is the chapter leader of the College Diabetes Network (CDN) at PC. Outside of his CDN involvement, he plays on the club Ultimate Frisbee team and is a Resident Assistant for first year students.

Robert Barry, Ph.D

Biomedical Engineering, Living with T1D for more than 10 years

Robert holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and is a scientist researching human brain and spinal cord function in health and disease using advanced magnetic resonance imaging technologies. He was diagnosed with T1D at the age of 29 and has lived with it for more than 10 years. He works with his wife, Laura, to eat well, stay fit and healthy, and raise awareness about type 1 diabetes. You can follow him at @Researcher_Rob on Twitter.

Scott Bissinger

Founder of Everyday Glucose, Living with T1D since 2010.

Scott Bissinger was diagnosed with T1D in his junior year of college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). After his diagnosis, he recognized there was not a convenient way to carry glucose tablets. Out of this frustration, he developed the idea for the Tabs2Go Case for glucose tablets and won seed funding for the company through a business venture competition. The company has since sold thousands of cases to people with diabetes and companies.

Scott loves to ski, watch UNC basketball games, and is a member of the New England Chapter Young Leadership Committee’s Board. He remains active in the T1D community and is always on the lookout for the next great idea!

Persis Commissariat, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist at Joslin Diabetes Center, Living with T1D since age 11

Dr. Commissariat is a clinical health psychologist specializing in pediatrics, and has had T1D since the age of 11. She is currently a staff psychologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center, providing individual and family therapy to children and families in the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Section. Additionally, she is actively engaged in research at the Joslin focused on enhancing adherence, technology use, and illness identity. Dr. Commissariat has a special interest in mixed-method and qualitative research used to help adolescents and young adults identify with their diabetes and find easier ways to manage diabetes in everyday life.

Stacey Cunnington

Communications and Operations Assistant at College Diabetes Network, Living with T1D since 2011

Stacey was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in June of 2011 when she was almost 16 years old. She immediately became involved in the T1D community where she learned about College Diabetes Network (CDN). She started a CDN Chapter her sophomore year at Boston University, which led her to attend the annual CDN student retreat in 2015. She returned to CDN as an intern the following summer to once again attend the annual retreat and work on the creation of the Campus Advisory Committee. She is constantly inspired and amazed by the CDN students, and is thrilled to be able to work with them and the CDN team.

Brandon A. Denson

Outreach Manager at JDRF, Living with T1D since 2004

Brandon Denson was a star linebacker for Michigan State University. He walked on to the team as a freshman, and during his sophomore year earned a full scholarship for his remaining collegiate years. After graduating, Brandon played for three years in the Canadian Football League. He then went on to be the Assistant Defensive Coordinator at Detroit Voyageur College Prep and a personal trainer and mentor at Dogs 4 Life. He also competed on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. Currently Brandon is working as the Outreach Manager for JDRF's New England Chapter.

Brandon was diagnosed with T1D in 2004 during his senior year of high school. Living with T1D as a professional athlete has motivated him to show others how to overcome the challenges associated with the disease. He continues to raise awareness and inspire the T1D community as he speaks all over North America about T1D, his experiences as a collegiate and professional athlete and how to tackle T1D in his everyday life

Aimee Folger, LICSW

Child and Adolescent Therapist, Child Therapy in Boston, Living with T1D since age 11

Aimee was diagnosed with T1D at age 11, and has since been working with children and families to cope with difficult life transitions and general mental health challenges. She received her Masters of Social Work at Wheelock College in Boston, and her undergraduate degree in psychology at Clark University in Worcester. She started her career working at a community mental health agency providing family therapy, and has since focused on working with children and adolescents. Aimee has experience working with children in residential settings, schools, hospitals, outpatient office settings, as well as in the family’s home. Throughout Aimee’s career she has concentrated on helping children and families cope with medical illnesses, specifically T1D. She has experience working with kids who are adjusting to a diagnosis or life style change, as well as supporting their siblings and parents. Aimee currently runs support groups for children and adolescents living with T1D, sibling support groups, and social skills groups.

Katharine Garvey, M.D., MPH

Director, Diabetes Program; Clinical Chief for Diabetes, Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital

Session: Ask the Diabetes Specialists

Dr. Garvey serves as Director of the Diabetes Program and Clinical Chief for Diabetes at Boston Children's Hospital and is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Garvey completed fellowships in pediatric endocrinology and pediatric health services research at Boston Children’s Hospital. She received an MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Garvey has conducted health services research focused on easing the transition from pediatric to adult care for youth with T1D. Clinically, Dr. Garvey practices pediatric endocrinology with a special focus on children, adolescents and young adults with T1D. In her role as Director of the Diabetes Program, she leads innovations in pediatric type 1 diabetes care delivery in collaboration with team members across disciplines.

Laura Gee

Host of fitT1Dfoodie™, Diagnosed with T1D at age 7

Laura has lived with T1D since she was 7, and her diagnosis inspired her to pursue a career in research. In 2011, she starred in the Mid-south Emmy nominated "Laura's Story" by the Foundation for Biomedical Research. This documentary showcased her life with diabetes while providing a glimpse into some game-changing diabetes research. Laura loves to lead an active lifestyle. In 2015, she was named a Medtronic Global Champion, one of 25 long-distance runners from anywhere in the world who were aided by medical technology. Today, Laura is the host of fitT1Dfoodie™, a regular podcast series for those living with diabetes that provides a glimpse into her personal thoughts, struggles, triumphs, deliciously diabetic recipes and everything in-between. You can subscribe to the fitT1Dfoodie™ podcast at www.fitT1Dfoodie.com and follow her @fitT1Dfoodie on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Annamaria Lukes

Development Coordinator at JDRF New England Chapter, Living with T1D since 1998

Diagnosed with T1D at the age of 8, Anna has been living with T1D for 19 years.  As a Development Coordinator in the JDRF New England office, Anna manages the Chapter's endurance programs and third party fundraising events.  An avid cyclist and runner herself, Anna ran NCAA Division I Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track while a student at Boston University from 2008-2012.  Since 2014 Anna has been a member of Team Novo Nordisk, an elite team of T1D athletes who inspire, educate and empower people affected by diabetes.

Anna loves to travel and has been to more than 30 countries, most recently Oman and the United Arab Emirates.  She received her master’s degree in international relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Austria in 2016.

Charlie O'Connell

Founder and CEO of GLUCOSEZONE, Living with T1D since 1996

Charlie O’Connell is the founder and CEO of GLUCOSEZONE: a Digital Health company providing online fitness and coaching to people living with diabetes and chronic conditions around the globe. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the fall of 1996, Charlie was a two sport Division I college athlete and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (’02). Charlie is a father, husband, golfer, skier, hiker, CrossFitter, speaker, inventor and entrepreneur, and lives in New Haven, CT with his wife and three small children.

Ellen O’Donnell, Ph.D.

Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Instructor at Harvard Medical School, Living with T1D since age 21

Ellen H. O’Donnell, Ph.D., is a pediatric psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children. She is Director of Psychological Services for the MGH Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Center and for Shriners Children’s Hospital, Boston. She co-directs the MassGeneral for Children Pediatric Behavioral Medicine Program and the MGH Internship in Child Psychology. She is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. O’Donnell’s interests include developing and evaluating interventions for children and adolescents affected by medical illness to improve quality of life and health outcomes. She is also interested in ways that positive parenting practices protect children against problems in adjustment. Dr. O’Donnell works with patients with a variety of pediatric illnesses but is especially interested in the challenges of having T1D since she is living with the disease herself.

Kelly Reilly, RN-CDE

Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator at Lahey Hospital, Living with T1D since age 13

Kelly Reilly, RN-CDE, is an adult diabetes nurse educator at Lahey Outpatient Center in Danvers. Kelly was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 13 and also lives with celiac disease. She provides patients with training on diabetes management (pre-diabetes, Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes), wearing an insulin pump and CGM device, and risk factor education. Additionally, she helps to educate families on healthy living through exercise and nutrition and in her spare time she enjoys being a health and wellness coach to those with type 1, type 2, and pre-diabetes.

In 2000, she graduated with her BSN from Elmira College in New York, moving on to eventually work with Joslin Diabetes Center. Kelly lives just north of Boston with her husband and two children.

Anna Sabino, MSW, CDCES

Founder of Finding Smiles Coaching, LLC; Living with T1D since Kindergarten

Session: Taking T1D to College

Anna has been living with T1D for over 30 years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and earned her Master's in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Her areas of expertise include family dynamics, crisis management, anxiety, depression, burnout and post-traumatic stress. Through her private practice, Finding Smiles Coaching, Anna has fulfilled her mission of serving the diabetes community both nationally and internationally. In addition to providing individual counseling, she has nearly 20 years of experience creating and overseeing youth and family programs with organizations such as the College Diabetes Network (now Diabetes Link), International Diabetes Federation, American Diabetes Association, and the T1D Exchange.

Elle Shaheen

Student at Harvard College, Diagnosed with T1D at age 8

After Elle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), she made a promise that if there was any way to pursue performing arts with type 1 that she would make the world a better place by channeling her talents and passion for a higher purpose. Over the 10 years since her diagnosis, she continues to make good on this promise. Elle was one of the first kids to test the bionic pancreas and worked with CNN to share her experience with the world. As the Co-Chair of the JDRF Children’s Congress, she helped introduce fellow-advocate, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She campaigned for the restoration of stem cell research and was the only young person at The White House when President Obama signed an Executive Order to end the ban. A freshman at Harvard College, Elle is proud to be sharing the Kennedy Center for the Arts 2017 Very Special Arts Playwright Discovery award-winning play that she wrote and published titled, Dimples and Diabetes. This one act play is about the experience of living with T1D and managing transitions.

Stefany Shaheen

Co-Founder of Good Measures, New York Times Author

Stefany has dedicated herself to making life better for people living with diabetes. Elle & Coach: Diabetes, The Fight for My Daughter’s Life, & The Dog Who Changed Everything, is the New York Times bestseller that she authored about the challenges and beauty of parenting a child with type 1 diabetes. Stefany launched a company to help those manage chronic conditions. She is on the Board of Trustees at Joslin Diabetes Center, served as the National Chair for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Children’s Congress, and currently serves on the Foundation’s Advocacy Committee. She is a key spokesperson for her mother, Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator and former New Hampshire Governor, she served on the City Council for the City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she and her husband, Craig Welch, live with their four children.