JDRF T1D Voices Council Holds Inaugural Meeting
JDRF T1D Voices Council Holds Inaugural Meeting
–New patient advocacy council assembled to help direct research and advocacy priorities —
Contact:
Michael Cook, 212-479-7510; mcook@jdrf.org
New York, NY, December 7, 2012 -JDRF, the world leader in setting the agenda for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, announced today the first formal meeting of the newly-created patient advisory group called the T1D Voices Council. Comprising 16 people affected by T1D, the council’s goal is to lend their diverse perspectives to help guide JDRF’s research and advocacy activities and ensure that its efforts remain aligned with the needs of people with the disease.
The T1D Voices Council includes members from across the United States and abroad, with varied backgrounds and connections to T1D. Its members range in age from 17 to 67 and include people with T1D as well as parents, grandparents, spouses, siblings, and children of people with the disease, in order to reflect the diversity of the T1D community, which they represent.
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Standing: Bill Parsons, Dan Hair, Jean Norris, |
“JDRF is committed to all people with type 1 diabetes, and as such, we believe our most important advisors are those affected by the disease,” said Jeffrey Brewer, president and CEO of JDRF. “Only by expanding our engagement of the T1D community and allowing it to inform our priorities can we ensure that JDRF is working toward the proper goals.”
The council is led by JDRF’s chief scientific officer, Richard A. Insel, M.D. and Bill Parsons, a member of the International Board of Directors whose son has T1D. The members will hold meetings with JDRF staff and leadership multiple times annually to discuss issues such as JDRF’s research priorities, allocation of JDRF resources among priority areas, and JDRF’s role in advocacy and education.
“We are excited to bring together this diverse group of people in the type 1 community, whose invaluable insight will help guide JDRF toward our common goal: improving lives and curing this disease,” said Mr. Parsons.
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About T1D
In T1D, a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. People with T1D need to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin (with injections or an insulin pump) multiple times every day, and carefully balance insulin doses with eating and daily activities throughout the day and night. However, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, and even with that intensive care, a significant portion of the day is still spent with either high or low blood sugar, placing people with T1D at risk for devastating complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation.
About JDRF
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is now the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF research is to improve the lives of all people affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal.
Since its founding in 1970, JDRF has awarded more than $1.7 billion to diabetes research. Past JDRF efforts have helped to significantly advance the care of people with this disease, and have expanded the critical scientific understanding of T1D. JDRF will not rest until T1D is fully conquered. More than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education.