Our annual TypeOneNation Summit (TONS) is on Saturday, November 7th and we are so excited to welcome the following guest speakers to the event to share their insight and wisdom about living successfully with type 1 diabetes (T1D.) To register for the event, visit this link.

Keynote Address

Jennifer Ross

Jennifer Ross is the co-founder and co-CEO of Be Mixed, an innovative, natural line of zero‐calorie cocktail mixers. In this role, she leads the operations, finance and business strategy of the company, which she co‐founded with a fellow student and friend while at Harvard Business School. Prior to receiving her Master of Business Administration, Jennifer worked on marketing and operations at Fanvision, a sports entertainment technology company, and previously served as an Analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Merchant Bank’s real estate private equity group. Jennifer has long been an advocate for the advancement of diabetes research and a supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). She was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 6, and while still in high school, founded and organized Rock the Cure, a concert to benefit JDRF, which raised over $200,000. Jennifer also serves as the secretary of Safesittings, a not‐for-profit organization serving the parents of children with diabetes (since 2006). Jennifer holds a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. From Harvard Business School.

T1D Technology Panel

Nathaniel Heintzman, Ph.D

Nate is the Senior Manager of Data Partnerships for Dexcom and has been formally working in diabetes data and technology research for five years (informally for even longer) and involved in the diabetes community for over a decade. He served as faculty at the School of Medicine at UC San Diego, where he directed the Diabetes Informatics & Analytics Lab (DIAL), before transitioning in 2014 to Dexcom’s R&D department, where he leads programs to develop a digital ecosystem of diabetes data and technologies through partnerships with industry, academia, and the diabetes innovation community.

Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D.

JDRF Chief Mission Officer & Vice President, Research

Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., was appointed JDRF’s first Chief Mission officer in December 2014 and serves as a key link between JDRF and the broad diabetes community. Dr. Kowalski combines his professional experience as a scientist with his personal experience of living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for over 30 years to help guide and champion JDRF’s programs focused on creating a world without T1D.

Dr. Kowalski is an internationally recognized expert in the area of diabetes technologies and has been a leader of JDRF’s Artificial Pancreas Research Project, a multi-million dollar initiative that began in 2005 to accelerate the progress toward automated insulin-delivery systems. He has authored numerous articles on T1D research and was a coauthor of the landmark study in The New England Journal of Medicine that revealed the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitors in T1D management.

Dr. Kowalski has traveled and spoken globally about diabetes research progress, and is known for his ability to translate science into easily understandable concepts. Dr. Kowalski has presented at many national and international scientific conferences, including the American Diabetes Association Annual Scientific Sessions, and was the keynote speaker at the 2009 Diabetes Technology Society Meeting. He has been a voice for diabetes research in the popular media, appearing on The Martha Stewart Show, dLife, Fox Business, and NPR, among others. He is often quoted in the print media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and People magazine.

Dr. Kowalski is a member of the JDRF PEAK Program’s expert panel and often speaks about the importance of exercise and diet in better diabetes control. While living with T1D, he has completed 17 marathons. Online, he often tweets (@aaronjkowalski) about exercise and diabetes and how all people with T1D can live their lives without limits.

He earned his doctorate in molecular genetics from Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

JDRF Research Update

Robin Goland, M.D.

Endocrinologist and Co-Director, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center

Dr. Robin Goland, J. Merrill Eastman Professor of Clinical Diabetes, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Columbia University, directs the patient care and clinical research programs at the Berrie Center. She was instrumental in establishing the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center in July 1998. Under the leadership of Dr. Goland and Berrie Center Co-Director Dr. Rudolph Leibel, the Berrie Center has become recognized nationally and internationally for excellence and innovation in patient care and research in diabetes. Dr. Goland has a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.D. from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. She was a resident and chief medical resident at NY-Presbyterian Hospital and did her endocrinology research training at Columbia University.

Jessica Dunne, Ph.D.

Jessica Dunne, Ph.D., is the director and program lead for JDRF’s Prevention Program, the portion of JDRF’s research portfolio aimed at delaying or preventing the onset of symptomatic T1D. In her role, Dr. Dunne develops and implements research programs that address key scientific and program gaps within the prevention portfolio, including vaccine research and development, biomarkers to predict risk and rate of progression to symptomatic T1D, and clinical interventions to delay or prevent symptomatic T1D.

Prior to joining JDRF in 2008, she was a senior scientist and manager of animal biology at Elusys Therapeutics, a small biotechnology company that focuses on life-threatening infectious diseases. There, she led a team of scientists performing preclinical studies in four therapeutic areas. A number of these projects were partnered with big pharmaceutical companies, and Dr. Dunne was responsible for liaising with those companies to develop programs and therapies. Dr. Dunne completed her postdoctoral training at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, where she was an integral part of the preclinical team tasked to develop a second-generation CYPHER® stent. During her postdoctoral training, she led a project in collaboration with Ethicon to develop drug and biomaterial combinations that reduce biofouling of implanted biomaterials. Dr. Dunne holds a bachelor’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate from the University of Virginia, both in the field of biomedical engineering. Her graduate training focused on the cellular mechanics of acute inflammatory response.

Breakout Sessions

T1D and The Everyday Athlete

Anna Aluf, NP, CDE

Anna Aluf is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator at Mount Sinai Pediatric Endocrinology Department. She received both her bachelors and her master’s degrees in Nursing from Rutgers University. Right out of nursing school, she worked in the pediatric intensive care unit at Hackensack University Medical Center where she was exposed to working with children with diabetes.  These children came in to the hospital very ill, with a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, but within hours to several days were again healthy children which now needed to receive insulin.  It was there that she realized her calling, deciding to dedicate her career to taking care of children with diabetes and helping them lead normal lives.

Type 1 diabetes is a very unique and complex chronic condition which affects every aspect of one’s life.  It can be very overwhelming and devastating for families especially in the initial diagnosis period.   Anna’s mission is to provide these children and their families with the necessary education to make them successful in managing this complex condition.  Her goal is to empower them to navigate through the normal activities of childhood and be strong, confident, and capable of managing their own diabetes care.

Fredda Elzweig

T1D 50-Year Veteran & Athlete

Fredda Elzweig  has had TID for 50 years. She has lived  a very full and active lifestyle in NYC in that time . She credits her Diabetic control to a healthy way of life and a exercise regime consistent over 30 years. She has never let her TID stop her from traveling the world and fulfilling  her dreams and goals . Diabetes ,she says is, “what I have, it is not who I am.” Even though the disease has had its challenges over  her lifetime, she continues to manage it in a positive manner, a strong sense of self and a good sense of humor .Fredda has a successful career as a Financial Advisor over the past 20 years . She opened her own Financial Firm in Manhattan in 2003 US Planning Group and in 2009 Crystal Wealth Management .Her message for others with TID is, that you don’t have to do it alone there is so much more support now than when she was diagnosed.

Robin Arzón

RRCA Certified Running Coach/Personal Trainer/Head Coach at Peloton Cycle

Robin is a corporate lawyer turned Ambassador of Sweat, running coach, cycling instructor, and ultramarathoner. SHUTUPANDRUN, her blog, is for athletes who think medals are the highest form of Bling. They sweat with swagger on the streets of their cities, and never sacrifice style for function. Fueled by the ethos that there is no finish line, Robin’s life’s mission–redefine, reform, and rethink possibility through movement. A former social media producer for Nike Women, coaching athletes is Robin’s passion. One time she ran 5 marathons in 5 days across Utah. When she’s  not training for ultramarathons, she’s a Head Coach at Peloton Cycle. As a co-founder of fitness movement UNDO ORDINARY, she combines sweat and fashion as Editor-In-Chief of print publication, UNDO MAGAZINE. Prior to pursuing health and wellness, she graduated magna cum laude from New York University and Villanova University School of Law. She is an RRCA certified running coach, NASM certified personal trainer, and Schwinn spin instructor.

T1D & Nutrition

MaryAnn Jones, CHC, AADP

Certified Holistic Health Coach

MaryAnn Jones is a diabetes caregiver to her 15 year old daughter Cate, who was diagnosed with T1 in 2002 at age 2. Her journey to keep Cate happy and healthy motivated her to change careers. After 20 years designing magazines she went back to school and received her certification as a holistic health coach. She is the founder and owner of Thrive Naturally. She creates and delivers wellness programs for the workplace, organizations, groups and individuals. Her work has enabled her to empower others to take ownership of their health.Thriving is about unleashing your potential through a combination of goal setting, inspiration and practical tools built on a foundation of awareness and responsibility.

Taking Diabetes to School

Risa Chuang

T1D Advocate

Risa Chuang’s daughter, Hana, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in April, 2008 at the age of 2 ½ years old. Since then, she has been an active advocate for raising awareness and funding to support JDRF and type 1 diabetes research. She participates in the Manhattan Walk annually raising thousands of dollars over the last eight years. Hana has also had the honor of being one of the New York delegates for Children’s Congress 2013, where Risa and Hana met with Representative Kirsten Gillibrand staffers, Representative Carolyn Maloney and Senator Chuck Schumer to raise awareness of the need for continued funding for the Special Diabetes Program which supports the advancement of T1D research at the National Institutes of Health. Risa and Hana have continued their advocacy through Promise to Remember Me Meetings, volunteering with the advocacy team to sign up members at local walks, and through their participation in the Kids Walk video for JDRF which is shown in hundreds of schools nationwide. Risa also provides encouragement and support for newly diagnosed families and continues to raise awareness and provide education in classrooms in their local elementary school.

The Emotional Effects of T1D

Joe Solowiejczyk, RN, MSW, CDE

Joe Solowiejczyk is a healthcare professional who has lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 40 years.  Joe is President and founder of A Mile in My Shoes, a company that publishes books & produces videos on patient self-management and psychological coping as well as providing counseling and training to patients, families and health care professionals.

Having worked in the field of diabetes for over 35 years, and a person living with Type 1 diabetes for 52 years, his work focuses on translating his personal & professional experiences into unique patient care programs. As a nurse, diabetes educator and family therapist, he specializes in assessing how family dynamics impact the management of diabetes and designs interventions that result in more effective coping and optimal metabolic control.

Joe works extensively with both patients and professionals on the Family-Approach to Diabetes Management. He works with pediatric patients and their families in hospital clinics and private physicians’ offices, and conducts workshops nationally and abroad for parents to help them cope with their child’s diagnosis and daily challenge of living with diabetes. He designs educational and counseling programs for both children and adults with diabetes, as well as seminars for health care professionals on integrating family therapy into clinical practice.

He is a faculty member of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute and Children with Diabetes. As President of A Mile In My Shoes, Joe provides consulting expertise to pharmaceutical companies and health care marketing firms in the development of unique and positive partnerships among healthcare professionals, patients and products.  He was also instrumental in the development of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia-Presbyterian, a comprehensive, family-focused center for diabetes research, education and patient care, where he served as the Associate Director of Clinical Services. He worked as a consultant to Children’s Hospital Oakland, helping them to expand and develop their clinical diabetes program and with the Oakland Unified School District where he developed and coordinated the implementation of their in-district diabetes program; the first of its kind in the country. Joe has appeared in San Francisco/Bay Area newspapers, local and national television and radio, as well as National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered”.