BBDC Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS

DIABETES UPDATE 2009

Our next DIABETES UPDATE will be held on Friday, April 3, 2009 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  DIABETES UPDATE is a biannual continuing education event which is attended by over 700 health care professionals including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists from across Ontario and beyond.  Our 2009 UPDATE will focus on advances and challenges in managing diabetes in an era of choice. The program will consist of several lectures and interactive sessions, and will include international and local  speakers.  The program and registration information will be available in the fall of 2008. 

BBDC tO HOST SATELLITE SYMPOSIUM

The BBDC is proud to host an official academic satellite symposium of the International Diabetes Federation 20th World Diabetes Congress on Recent Advances in Beta-Cell Biology: Scientific and Clinical Implications.  The symposium will be held October 16-17, 2009 at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto, and will highlight very recent advances in our understanding of beta cell biology with a focus on translational relevance and implications for the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.  Speakers will include Drs. Susan Bonner-Weir, Peter Butler, Marc Donath, Yuval Dor, Ele Ferrannini, Leif Groop; Andrew Hattersley; Kevan Herold, Steven Kahn, Michael Nauck, Constantin Polychronakos, Guy Rutter, Frans Schuit, and Susumu Seino. Please view the symposium’s website at www.betacell2009.ca for more information. 

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

pilot Grants for Innovative Activities Related to Diabetes Education, Management, and Care 2009/2010

The Banting and Best Diabetes Centre will provide up to $20,000 per applicant for pilot projects which are one to two years in length.  This program is intended to support new research initiatives in the following general areas:
a) Diabetes care delivery
b) Evaluation of diabetes education programs, and
c) Practical issues in diabetes management.

This program is designed to encourage new academic research activities that would not usually be supported by traditional granting processes.  Specifically, we invite applications from frontline diabetes health care professionals working in University of Toronto affiliated institutions or working with University of Toronto faculty.  To be eligible, the principal applicant must be a health care professional whose primary appointment is with a University of Toronto affiliated institution or with the University of Toronto.  Eligible applicants include: physicians; nurses; dietitians; pharmacists and others on the front line of diabetes care.  Staff at both fully and community affiliated University of Toronto institutions are eligible to apply.  Interested individuals are asked to submit a 1-page letter of intent and a 1-page proposed budget to the BBDC by Monday, September 29, 2008.   For complete award details and application instructions, please see the FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES section of the BBDC’s web site at http://www.bbdc.org/fundingOpp/index.htm.

TRAINEE TRAVEL AWARDS – PERIOD 1
FOR TRAVEL OCCURRING BETWEEN JULY 1 AND DECEMBER 31, 2008

Awards of up to $1,000 (Canadian) are available to trainees who will be traveling to a national or international meeting between July 1 and December 31, 2008 to present a first-author abstract.  The content of the abstract must be directly related to an area of diabetes research.  To be eligible, applicants must be registered graduate students, post-doctoral or clinical fellows conducting diabetes research at the University of Toronto or one of its affiliated institutions.  The trainee’s supervisor must hold a full-time faculty appointment with the University of Toronto and must also be a registered member* of the BBDC at the time of application submission.   The deadline for receipt of applications is 5 p.m., October 7, 2008.  For complete award details and application instructions please see the FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES section of the BBDC’s web site at http://www.bbdc.org/fundingOpp/index.htm.

Upcoming Funding Opportunities:

• Equipment Grants for Diabetes Research 2008/2009.  Application deadline October 2008.

* Those who are new to the field of diabetes research, education or care and are not members of the BBDC can request free membership by contacting the Centre prior to submitting an application. For more information about BBDC Membership, please view the MEMBERSHIP section of our web site at http://www.bbdc.org/membership/index.htm.

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AWARD RESULTS**

annual trainee awards 2007/2008

The following are this year’s prize winners:

Award	Applicant	Supervisor	Title of Research
1st Prize	Jasmine Bahrami	Dr. Daniel Drucker	The Endogenous Murine GLP-2 receptor is Essential for Nutrient Absorption and the Adaptive Mucosal Response to Disorders of Energy Homeostasis
2nd Prize	Carol Lam	Dr. Tony Lam	Activation of Hypothalamic Lactate Metabolism and Kir6.2/SUR1-containing KATP Channels Reduce Food Intake and Body Weight
3rd Prize	Adriano Maida	Dr. Daniel Drucker	Differential importance of endogenous incretin receptor signaling vs. enhanced incretin action or DDP-4 inhibition for β-cell cytoprotection and regeneration in mice
Honourable Mention	Lina Lauffer	Dr. Patricia Brubaker	Oleoylethanolamide increases glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion from intestinal L cells through activation of the GPR119 fatty acid receptor
Honourable Mention	Hongfang Lu	Dr. Michael Wheeler	Molecular and Metabolic Evidence For Mitochondrial Dysfunction Associated with β-cell Failure in a Type 2 Diabetic MKR Mice
Honourable Mention	Linyuan Wang	Dr. Minna Woo	PTEN Deletion in Pancreatic Beta Cells and Hypothalamus Protects Against the Development of High Fat Induced Type 2 Diabetes in Mice

HUGH SELLERS POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AND
BBDC POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS 2008/2009

The following applicants have been offered a 1-year post-doctoral fellowship:

Applicant	Supervisor	Title of Research
Dr. Alexey Podcheko (Hugh Sellers Fellowship)	Dr. Maria Rozakis-Adcock	Role of Plekstrin Homology Domain Interacting Protein 1 (PHIP1) in Prevention and Treatment of Experimental Type 2 Diabetes
Dr. Holly Bates (DECLINED AWARD)	Dr. Daniel Drucker	The contribution of neuronal GLP-1 and GIP receptor signalling to their effects on glucose homeostasis, energy balance, and behaviour
Dr. Shlomit Boguslavsky	Dr. Amira Klip	The ‘neglected’ signalling arm of insulin and its role in insulin resistance
Dr. Amanda Hayashi	Dr. Khosrow Adeli	Functional testing of intestinal cholesterol and fatty acid transporter genes in the insulin resistant state
Dr. Lina Lauffer (DECLINED AWARD)	Dr. Patricia Brubaker	The role of GPR119 in oleoylethanolamide-induced glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion
Dr. Elodie Masson	Dr. I. George Fantus	The role of Thioredoxin Interactin Protein (TxNIP) in apoptosis of the Beta-cells
Dr. Christine Robson-Doucette	Dr. Michael Wheeler	Investigating the role of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) as a calcium transporter and its impact on pancreatic islet function
Dr. Ravi Vellanki	Dr. Allen Volchuk	The Role of OASIS in Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Signaling in Pancreatic beta Cells
Dr. Liang Xi	Dr. Gary Lewis	The mechanism of the glucoregulatory effect of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors
Dr. Li Xie (DECLINED AWARD)	Dr. Herbert Gaisano	Molecular mechanisms of docking/tethering and priming of insulin granules for exocytosis

PILOT GRANTS FOR INNOVATIVE ACTIVITES RELATED TO DIABETES EDUCATION, MANAGEMENT AND CARE 2008/2009

The following applicants have been offered a Pilot Grant:

Principal Applicant	Title of Study	Amount
Dr. Baiju Shah	Evaluating an intervention to share type 2 diabetes care between family physicians and specialists	$19,965
Dr. Sheila Laredo	The Relative Benefits of Dietary Composition and Intensity of Dietary Intervention on Weight in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Pilot Study	$20,000

tRAINEE TRAVEL AWARDS – pERIOD 2
For travel occurring between january 1 and june 30, 2008

The following have each been offered a Trainee Travel Award of up to $1,000 Canadian:

Applicant	Supervisor(s)	Abstract Title(s)
Jasmine Bahrami	Dr. Daniel Drucker	The Endogenous Murine GLP-2 receptor is Essential For Nutrient Absorption and the Adaptive Mucosal Response to Disorders of Energy Homeostasis
Holly Bates	Dr. Mladen Vranic and Dr. Stephen Matthews	Adaptation to Intermittent Stress Partially Preserves Beta-cell Mass Through Mechanisms Independent of Food Intake
Danna Breen	Dr. Adria Giacca	Insulin Inhibits Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation in Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice
Madhu Chari	Dr. Tony Lam	CNS Glucotoxicity and Nutrient Sensing
Diana Choi	Dr. Minna Woo	The essential in vivo role of Fas in pancreatic beta cells
Joanne Hsieh	Dr. Khosrow Adeli	Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is a potent mediator of intestinal APOB48-containing lipoprotein overproduction
Ya-Chi Huang	Dr. Herbert Gaisano	NADH desensitize a-cell KATP channel contributes glucose-inhibited glucagon release
Carol Lam	Dr. Tony Lam	Activation of Hypothalamic Lactate Metabolism and Kir6.2/SUR1-containing K-ATP Channels Reduce Food Intake and Body Weight
Lina Lauffer	Dr. Patricia Brubaker	Oleoylethanolamide increases glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion from intestinal L cells through activation of GPR119 fatty acid receptor
Sylvia Ley	Dr. Anthony Hanley	Adiopokines and Incident Type 2 Diabetes in an Aboriginal Canadian Population:  The Sandy Lake Health and Diabetes Project
Adriano Maida	Dr. Daniel Drucker	Differential importance of endogenous incretin receptor signaling vs. enhanced incretin action or DPP-4 inhibition for beta-cell cytoprotection and regeneration in mice
Mirjana Pavlic	Dr. Gary Lewis	1) The effect of acute hyperinsulinemia on hepatic and intestinal lipoprotein production in humans in fed state 2) Triglyceride-rich lipoprotein-associated apolipoprotein CIII production is stimulated by plasma free fatty acids in humans
Linyuan Wang	Dr. Minna Woo	PTEN Deletion in Pancreatic Beta Cells and Hypothalamus Protects Against the Development of High Fat Induced Type 2 Diabetes in Mice
Victor Wong	Dr. Patricia Brubaker	Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Regulates R-Spondin-1/canonical Wnt Signaling in the beta-cell
Changting Xiao	Dr. Gary Lewis	High dose salicylate does not improve insulin sensitivity but it does improve first phase insulin response in the presence of chronically eelvated plasma free fatty acids in overweight and obese, non-diabetic men

 

** An essential condition of all BBDC programs is the acknowledgement of BBDC support, where appropriate, in all publications relevant to the BBDC-supported research program. Failure to appropriately acknowledge the BBDC’s support in relevant publications will be considered grounds for suspending future eligibility for BBDC funding programs.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• The tireless members of our Research Committee and our Diabetes Care and Education Committee who volunteer their time to review applications for the Centre’s funding programs and to organize educational events on behalf of the BBDC. 
• Dr. Baiju Shah who recently hosted the Grant Writing 101 Workshop for Health Care Professionals Working in Diabetes Care and Education.
• All those who participated in our 19th Annual Scientific Day.
• The many BBDC members who provided scientific reviews for various BBDC funding programs this past year.

• The following supporters who have helped make our educational events possible over the past year: Merck Frosst Canada Ltd.; AstraZeneca & Bristol-Myers Squibb; Eli Lilly Canada Inc.; LifeScan Canada, a Johnson & Johnson Company; and Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.

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BBDC News is published in September, December, March and June of each year.
Current and past issues are available on our web site.

DIRECTOR: DANIEL J. DRUCKER, MD, FRCPC
Banting and Best Diabetes Centre
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Located at the Toronto General Hospital
200 Elizabeth Street
Eaton Wing, 12th Floor, Room 12E248
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4
Phone: (416) 978-4656 • Fax: (416) 978-4108
E-mail: diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca • Website: www.bbdc.org

Please send comments & enquiries to diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca. The Banting & Best Diabetes Centre does not provide medical advice. We are unable to respond to such enquires.

© Copyright 2012 University of Toronto.

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