At JDRF, we have been fighting to create a world where no one has to worry about type 1 diabetes (T1D). We have invested 50 years of innovative research to understand and defeat this complex disease. Our loved ones with T1D deserve nothing less. By funding research, advocating for policies that accelerate access to new therapies and providing a support network, we’re leading the fight for the estimated 1.6 million Americans diagnosed and their loved ones.

We are excited to announce that all monies raised through your Fund A Cure donation for the JDRF Hope Gala will be used to underwrite JDRF-funded research at the University of Utah.

 

Our partnership with researchers at the University of Utah is vital in this endeavor and exemplifies how JDRF accelerates life-changing breakthroughs and cures. We are proud to be currently funding over $3 million of innovative science at the University of Utah. We invite you to join us in this fight with a 100% tax deductible Fund A Cure donation to the JDRF Hope Gala honoring The University of Utah Diabetes & Metabolism Research Center.

 

Unleashing Local Talent for Global Impact

Your support gives us not only the ability to honor our commitments to the scientists at the University of Utah, but also gives them the flexibility to maximize their strengths. Our philosophy since day 1 has been to take the donations entrusted to us and put them immediately to work by investing in talented researchers across the world. This approach has allowed us to drive almost every T1D advance in the last 50 years. These breakthroughs include moving encapsulation of beta cells into human clinical trials, launching human trials of drugs to regenerate beta cells, and advancing artificial pancreas technologies to commercialization.

 A Fund a Cure gift from you today toward the JDRF Hope Gala will give us the ability to continue investing in the exciting research happening right now at the University of Utah.

The Power of Us

We cannot continue our work without you. Your support gives us the ability to strategically sustain and diversify our research investments. Our direct investment in research is only part of our story. Our work with partners through advocacy and via our research leadership pulls in additional T1D research funding from other organizations, corporations and governments. This year, our efforts led to a global investment of $414.5 million. We firmly believe that it is within our grasp to change the trajectory of T1D. Your continued support will enhance this momentum and critical leverage in creating a world without T1D.

The Science Behind Our Vision

JDRF has an extraordinary and diverse portfolio of researchers at the University of Utah. Their work represents the most innovative and promising directions leading us to a world without T1D. The University of Utah has become a powerhouse of T1D science, backed by the local JDRF community whose philanthropy has helped the institution excel.

Since 1999, JDRF has funded 17 researchers at the University of Utah, whose studies totaled approximately $7.6 million—an achievement comparable to JDRF’s investments at Johns Hopkins University, Baylor College of Medicine and other renowned research institutions. Currently, there are nine active JDRF projects at the University of Utah, totaling approximately $3.3 million.

To fully fund these studies, we need to raise $1.7 million this fiscal year. Without your support, these projects may face delays, and we would not have the opportunity to invest in new research until these financial goals are met. Your partnership is the lynchpin that will help usher in the next wave of breakthroughs:

Connecting the Dots for Cures. With his JDRF grant, Scott Summers, Ph.D., is discovering new ways to promote beta cell regeneration and survival by blocking pathways causing beta cell loss in T1D. with a biotech company, he is testing whether drugs acting on this pathway restore functional beta cells in diabetes models. If successful, these efforts may lead to a novel therapy that can be used alone or be used in combination with immunotherapies.

Bold Bets Built with Flexibility. JDRF is partnering with Candace Reno, Ph.D., to reduce the dangers associated with hypoglycemia, one of the most feared complications related to diabetes. Hypoglycemia are episodes of severely low blood-glucose that can lead to seizures, brain damage, coma and even death. Dr. Reno’s work is testing whether beta blockers, which are commonly used to mitigate the risk of heart attack, may be able to prevent hypoglycemia-induced cardiac arrest.

Funding Model Primed for Acceleration. JDRF is funding several studies to develop novel insulins, such as ultra-rapid acting formulations, liver-targeted approaches and glucose responsive “smart” insulins. Building on earlier work supported by JDRF, researchers at the University of Utah are seeking to overcome challenges, such as delayed insulin action, to help people with T1D achieve tighter blood glucose control.

Fostering New Talent. The University of Utah has an unexceptional pool of scientific talents creating new pathways in T1D therapies. Many of the individuals above have received JDRF grants for early-career researchers. Following their path, Matthew Bettini, Ph.D., is using his JDRF grant to study a therapy that aims to strengthen the natural development of the immune system to halt the onset or progression of T1D in susceptible individuals. Similarly, Jennifer Hill, Ph.D., is applying her JDRF grant to explore how the microbiota influences the development of insulin-producing beta cells. Based on strong preliminary data, she aims to show that certain microbial signals prevent or can postpone development of T1D in animal models.

Join us now to support the talented researchers at the University of Utah and drive the global scientific movement toward cures!