JDRF Celebrates Research Award Winners and Recognizes Type 1 Diabetes Research Leaders

NEW YORK, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, proudly presented awards to five outstanding leaders in T1D research whose impact has pushed JDRF's mission forward. Award recipients include:

• Linda DiMeglio, M.D. and Moshe Phillip, M.D., co-recipients, George Eisenbarth Award for Type 1 Diabetes Prevention
• Colin Dayan, M.D., Ph.D., JDRF Rumbough Award
• Kirstine Bell, Ph.D., Dr. Robert Goldstein Award
• Viral Shah, M.D., Mary Tyler Moore and S. Robert Levine, M.D., Excellence in Clinical Research Award

"Since our inception, JDRF's mission has been focused on accelerating research and breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications. Our progress has been driven by the exceptional work and commitment of T1D researchers across the globe," said JDRF Chief Scientific Officer Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D. "It's an honor to recognize and celebrate these dedicated individuals for their leadership and clinical implementation in research and the tangible impacts they have had on their fields and the millions of people who live with or are at risk of T1D."

George Eisenbarth Award for Type 1 Diabetes Prevention
Named after esteemed researcher George Eisenbarth, M.D., Ph.D., who provided the foundation for predicting T1D and identifying novel approaches toward prevention and cures, this award recognizes researchers who have made great contributions to preventing T1D.

Dr. Moshe Phillip and Dr. Linda DiMeglio have led the development of international consensus guidance for monitoring of T1D in its early stages prior to clinical diagnosis. As chair and vice chair of this effort, they helped convene a broad range of global experts and co-led the writing of the guidance document, which will provide actionable information for healthcare providers to monitor early-stage T1D in the clinical setting.

Dr. Phillip is the director of the Institute for Endocrinology and Diabetes, National Center for Childhood Diabetes at Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petah Tikva, where he has served since 1997, and leads the Diabetes Technologies Center at the institute. Under Dr. Phillip's leadership, the institute was leading the first multinational multicenter study with automatic insulin delivery (AID) outside of a hospital. Dr. Phillip is currently engaged in studies for national screening of diabetes in the general population and in family members. He remains active in clinical and applied research, focusing on childhood diabetes and growth.

In addition to maintaining an active clinical practice, Dr. DiMeglio serves as the Edwin Letzter Professor of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology at Riley Children's Health. She began her career with a JDRF career development award to support one of her first research projects on insulin pump therapy in very young children with diabetes. Now, she directs local and national research teams focused on preventing T1D, preserving beta cell function, and improving metabolic control and quality of life for persons living with the disease.

JDRF Rumbough Award
The JDRF David Rumbough Award acknowledges an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of T1D that have significantly accelerated the JDRF mission.

For over 20 years, Dr. Colin Dayan has been a leader in T1D immunotherapy research, and his work has been central to JDRF's research strategy and overall mission. He is leading efforts to bring teplizumab, the first disease-modifying therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that can delay clinical T1D in individuals in early stages, to Europe and the UK to expand treatment options available in these areas. He is a leading member of the JDRF-funded UK T1D Research Consortium, through which he has brought the research community together to accelerate critical research, leverage collective resources, and collaborate to improve T1D clinical trial delivery. Currently, Professor Dayan serves as chair of Clinical Diabetes and Metabolism and head of section at Cardiff University School of Medicine and as part-time senior clinical researcher in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Robert Goldstein Award
Named for Dr. Robert Goldstein, who played a key role in developing JDRF's Research department and served as chief scientific officer for JDRF International and JDRF Canada for decades, this award recognizes early career T1D researchers who show great promise for future work in the field.

Dr. Kirstine Bell is a diabetes educator, dietitian, and the principal research fellow at the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney. She leads the Australian T1D National Screening Pilot, a national feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness program to determine the optimal method for routine, publicly funded national screening program for all Australian children. She has served in a critical role as a co-first author on the 2022 ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guideline: Stages of T1D in children and adolescents.

Mary Tyler Moore and S. Robert Levine, M.D., Excellence in Clinical Research Award  
This award was established in honor of the late actress, Mary Tyler Moore, who served as chairman of JDRF International from 1984 until her passing in 2017, and her husband, Dr. Levine, who remains committed to JDRF's mission. The award recognizes leaders and innovators of outstanding clinical and translational T1D research.

Dr. Viral Shah is currently leading a JDRF-funded trial to examine the effects of semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist, in people with T1D and hybrid closed-loop systems, and he recently published the first report on use of the GLP1-GIP agonist Mounjaro in T1D that demonstrated promising results. His research has also shown the association between time in range and retinopathy progression in T1D, which provides necessary evidence to support future therapy development.

Dr. Shah is a professor of medicine in endocrinology and metabolism and the director of diabetes clinical research at the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at Indiana University whose research focuses on improving glycemic control and reducing complications in people with T1D.

JDRF Research award recipients were recognized at a ceremony in New York City earlier in April 2024.

JDRF recognizes and appreciates all of the dedicated researchers who are committed to finding cures and improving the lives of those living with T1D.

About JDRF
JDRF's mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally and globally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a global stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement, and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter (@JDRF), Facebook (@myjdrf), and Instagram (@jdrfhq).

About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short or long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death if left untreated. Globally, it impacts nearly 9 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D. 

Contact:
Casey Fielder
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509-651-0087

SOURCE JDRF International