BBDC Newsletter
| BBDC NEWS | Vol. 11, No. 4 -- June 2011 |
|---|
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
As I reflect back on the past 11 years, it is important to acknowledge the key individuals who have selflessly devoted considerable energy, thoughtfulness and time on behalf of the BBDC membership. Notably, Professors Pat Brubaker, Jackie James, and George Fantus, who have directed our Research Committee, Care and Education Committee, and Core Laboratory, with tremendous effectiveness, wisdom, and enthusiasm. Relative to 11 years ago, our research programs are much more numerous and support many more individuals, our educational programs and activities are more frequent, diverse, and reach out to a broader segment of our communities, and our core lab today offers a larger number and more modern set of assays to the diabetes investigator.
Our Executive (Professors Brubaker, Fantus, James, Klip, Lewis, and Zinman) have guided the BBDC through some turbulent and challenging times. Yet relative to 11 years ago, the BBDC has emerged in 2011 with a substantially larger endowment, and a continuously growing membership, reflected in part by our moving the Annual Scientific Day to a new venue to encompass our expanding membership and trainee numbers. We are grateful to members of the Research and Care and Education Committees for their hard work and guidance in moving the BBDC forward over the last decade. All of our efforts would not have been possible without the exemplary professionalism of Rose LaBarbera, who continues to set new standards for leadership in the administration of the business and scientific agenda of the BBDC.
Given the ongoing importance of diabetes as a public health and scientific challenge, the mission and goals of the BBDC continue to resonate and are highly relevant to all members of our society. We look forward with much anticipation, enthusiasm and confidence to the transition to new leadership under the direction of Professor Gary Lewis and his new team, who will bring renewed purpose and a fresh perspective to the BBDC going forward. A sincere thanks to all of you for your many efforts in making Toronto a leading centre for diabetes education, clinical care and research.
Respectfully yours,
Daniel Drucker, MD
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Gary Lewis as Director of the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre for a 5-year term effective July 1, 2011.
Professor Lewis received his medical degree from the University of
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa in 1982.
He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Michael Reese
Hospital and Medical Centre in Chicago, followed by endocrinology
clinical and research fellowship studies at the University of Chicago.
Professor Lewis was first appointed to the Department of
Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Toronto, in 1990.
He is currently a full professor in the Departments of Medicine
and Physiology (since 2003), Director of the Division of Endocrinology
and Metabolism, University of Toronto (since 2008), and Head of the
Division of Endocrinology at the University Health Network and Mount
Sinai Hospital (since 2001).
He has been a member of the
I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to Professor Daniel Drucker for his leadership during his two terms as Director of the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre. Please join me in congratulating Professor Lewis on his appointment.
Sincerely,
Catharine Whiteside, MD, PhD, FRCP
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions
bBDC WEB SITE
External Review of the Banting & Best Diabetes
Centre (2006-2011)
On May 24, 2011, a 5-year review of the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre was conducted by external reviewers Dr. Hertzel Gerstein (Professor of Medicine, McMaster University) and Dr. Robert Rizza (Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic). Their review was based on a 181-page document entitled "BBDC External Review for the Period July 2006 to April 2011" which was provided in advance, as well as a series of meetings with important BBDC stakeholders and leaders. The complete review document, reviewers' report, and responses to the reviewers’ recommendations are available on the BBDC’s website at http://www.bbdc.org/News-ExternalReview2011.htm .
UPCOMING EVENTS
2ND ANNUAL U of T DIABETES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY UPDATE FOR
FAMILY PHYSICIANS
The University of Toronto's Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism together with the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre will be hosting the 2nd Annual U of T Diabetes and Endocrinology Update for Family Physicians on Friday, September 23, 2011 at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Toronto. This Update is an accredited, full-day continuing medical education course for family physicians. The program will emphasize small-group learning and other interactive activities that will allow participants to engage with faculty members from the University of Toronto's Endocrine Division. The course will cover a variety of diabetes and endocrine topics including: choosing oral antihyperglycemic agents or insulin regimens most appropriate to the patient; practical tips for the patient starting insulin; when to use new therapies for osteoporosis; a practical guide to interpreting BMD reports; practical guide to managing thyroid disease; and more. Program and registration information are available at http://sites.cepdtoronto.ca/diabetesendocrinology/ .
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Pilot Grants for Innovative Activities Related
to Diabetes Education, Management & Care 2012/2013
This program provides funding of up to $20,000 per applicant for pilot projects which are one to two years in length. It is intended to support novel and innovative research initiatives in the following general areas: i) Diabetes care delivery ii) Evaluation of diabetes education programs iii) Practical issues in diabetes management. It 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. To be eligible to apply, the principal applicant must be a health care professional whose primary appointment/employment (more than 50% of total salary) is with a University of Toronto affiliated institution or with the University of Toronto. Staff at both fully and community affiliated University of Toronto institutions are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include physicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, pharmacists and others on the front line of diabetes care. The principal applicant must be a registered member* of the BBDC. In order to determine if proposals meet the eligibility guidelines of this funding program, applicants must first submit a 1-page letter of intent and brief estimated budget to the BBDC by Tuesday, September 27, 2011. For complete award details and application instructions, please see the following web page: http://www.bbdc.org/fundingOpp/pilot.htm.
TRAINEE TRAVEL AWARDS 2011/2012 (PERIOD 1)
FOR TRAVEL OCCURRING BETWEEN JULY 1 AND DECEMBER 31, 2011
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, 2011 to present a first-author abstract. The content of the abstract must specifically state the direct relevance of the work to diabetes. At the time of abstract submission to the meeting, the applicant must be either: A) a registered University of Toronto graduate, undergraduate or medical student; B) a post-doctoral fellow having received a PhD within the last 5 years; or C) a medical resident or clinical fellow having received an MD within the last 9 years. The applicant’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., Tuesday, October 4, 2011. For complete award details and application instructions please see the following web page: http://www.bbdc.org/fundingOpp/travel.htm .
Upcoming Funding Opportunities:
Information on the following programs will be
posted on the BBDC’s web site soon:
- Reuben & Helene Dennis Scholar in Diabetes Research 2012-2014. Application deadline: October 12, 2011
- Diabetes Educator of the Year Award 2011. Nomination deadline: November 22, 2011
* 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 .
AWARD RESULTS**
ANNUAL TRAINEE AWARDS 2010/2011
The following are this year’s prize winners:
| Award | Applicant |
Supervisor |
Abstract Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize: $400 gift card |
Diana Choi |
Dr. Minna Woo |
VHL is required for normal pancreatic B-cell
function in mice |
| 2nd Prize: $300 gift card |
Erica Pei-Shan Cai |
Dr. Minna Woo |
The role of Rb and Rb-family of proteins in cell
cycle regulation of pancreatic B-cells |
| 3rd Prize: $200 gift card |
Sheena Kayaniyil |
Dr. Anthony Hanley |
Prospective Association of Vitamin D with
Beta-cell Function and Glycemia |
| Honourable Mention: $100 gift card |
Monika Poreba |
Dr. Patricia Brubaker |
Role of fatty acid transport proteins in oleic
acid-induced secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 |
| Honourable Mention: $100 gift card |
Anu Shah |
Dr. I. George Fantus |
The role of TxNIP in the development of diabetic
nephropathy |
| Honourable Mention: $100 gift card |
Sally Yu Shi |
Dr. Minna Woo |
Liver-specific deletion of JAK2 leads to profound
fatty liver but suppression of inflammation and protection against systemic
insulin resistance |
PILOT AND
FEASIBILITY GRANTS 2011/2012
The following have been offered funding:
| Applicant |
Title of
Research |
Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Richard Bazinet Dr. Anthony Hanley |
Do individual non-esterified fatty acids predict
insulin resistance? A lipodomic approach in a prospective cohort. |
$30,000 |
| Dr. Susan Quaggin |
Molecular mechanisms of pancreatic beta-cell
failure – the role of mTOR |
$30,000 |
PILOT
GRANTS FOR INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO DIABETES EDUCATION,
The following have been offered funding:
| Applicant | Title of Research | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Catherine Yu Prof. Mark Chignell Dr. Chi Ming Chow Dr. Sharon Straus Prof. Ryan Brydges |
The ABCs of DKA: Development, testing and
evaluation of an interactive computer simulation of DKA management |
$20,000 |
TRAINEE
TRAVEL AWARDS 2010/2011 PERIOD 2
The following have been offered funding of up to
$1,000 CAD:
| Applicant | Supervisor(s) | Abstract Title(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Pei-Shan (Erica) Cai |
Dr. Minna Woo |
The role of Rb and Rb-family of proteins in cell
cycle regulation of pancreatic B-cellsThe role of Focal adhesion Kinase (FAK) in
pancreatic B-cells |
| Cristina Dirlea |
Dr. Adria Giacca |
The Role of JNK and ER Stress in Fat-induced
Hepatic Insulin Resistance |
| Bibiana Garcia-Bailo |
Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy |
Vitamin D status and plasma proteomic profiles |
| Wilfred Ip |
Dr. Tianru Jin and Dr. Xiao-Yan Wen |
Insulin Crosstalks with the Wnt Signaling Pathway
in Hepatocytes Via Upregulating TCF7L2 Expression and B-Catenin Phosphorylation
at Serine 675 |
| Sheena Kayaniyil |
Dr. Anthony Hanley |
Prospective Association of Vitamin D with
Beta-Cell Function and Glycemia |
| Khajag Koulajian |
Dr. Adria Giacca |
Inhibition of NADPH oxidase prevents fat-induced
b-cell dysfunction |
| Ken Lee |
Dr. I. George Fantus |
High glucose-induced ROS production is mediated
by c-Src in mesangial cells |
| Sylvia Ley |
Dr. Anthony Hanley |
Prognostic Utility of non-High Density
Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol in Assessing Type 2 Diabetes Risk |
| Andrew Mulherin |
Dr. Patricia Brubaker |
Mechanism underlying metformin-induced secretion
of glucacon-like peptide 1 from the intestinal L-cell |
| Monika Poreba |
Dr. Patricia Brubaker |
Role of fatty acid transport proteins in oleic
acid-induced secretion of glucacon-like peptide-1 |
| Brittany Rasmussen |
Dr. Tony K. T. Lam |
Dissecting the intestinal cholecystokinin
signaling pathway(s) that regulate glucose production |
| Christine Robson-Doucette |
Dr. Michael Wheeler |
Investigating the physiological function of UCP2
in beta cells using beta cell-specific UCP2 knockout mice |
| Ganesh Sangle |
Dr. Patricia Brubaker |
Novel Biological Action of the
Dipeptidylpeptidase 4 Inhibitor, Sitagliptin, as a GLP-1 Secretagogue |
| Meghan Sauve |
Dr. Steffen-Sebastian Bolz |
Myogenic responsiveness in resistance arteries of
diabetic mice is enhanced via a TNFalpha-S1P-mediated mechanism |
| Irmgard Schuiki |
Dr. Allen Volchuk |
Investigating Endoplasmic Reticulum Redox Status
Under Various Conditions that Induce Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Live
Pancreatic beta-cells |
| Anu Shah |
Dr. I. George Fantus and Dr. Susan Quaggin |
The Role of TxNIP in the Development of Diabetic
Nephropathy |
| Weijuan Shao |
Dr. Tianru Jin |
Curcumin Blocks High Fat Diet (HFD) Induced
Insulin Resistance and Obesity Via Attenuating Lipogenic Gene Expression in the
Liver and Inflammatory Pathway in Adipocytes – No Evidence of the Involvement of
Wnt Pathway Inhibition |
| Sally Yu Shi |
Dr. Minna Woo |
Liver-specific deletion of JAK2 leads to profound
fatty liver but suppression of inflammation and protection against systemic
insulin resistance |
| Qiaozhu Su |
Dr. Khosrow Adeli |
Impaired mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation
coupled with endoplasmic reticulum stress induces hepatic insulin resistance |
| Wylie Tan |
Dr. Carol Westall |
Progressive Retinal Dysfunction in Adolescents
with Type 1 Diabetes using Visual Electrophysiology Markers |
| Tracy Teodoro |
Dr. Allen Volchuk |
Pancreatic Beta-Cells Depend on Basal Expression
of ATF6{alpha} -p50 for Cell Viability as Acutely Reducing ATF6 {alpha} -p50
Levels Induces Apoptosis via JNK and p38 Pathways in an ER-Stress Independent
Manner |
| Clair (Shuo) Yang |
Dr. Tony K. T. Lam |
Glucose Transporter-1 in the Hypothalamic Glial
Cells Regulates Glucose Homeostasis |
**An essential condition of all BBDC
programs is the acknowledgement of BBDC support, where appropriate, in all
publications and presentations relevant to the BBDC-supported research program.
Failure to appropriately acknowledge the BBDC in relevant publications and
presentations will be considered grounds for suspending future eligibility for
BBDC funding programs.
BBDC CORE LABORATORY
The BBDC Core Laboratory provides analytical and technical support to
the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to express our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the following:
- Everyone who participated in our Diabetes Update 2011 continuing medical education event which was held in April 2011.
- Everyone who participated in our 22nd Annual Scientific Day which was held in May 2011.
- Dr. Tony Lam, our 2011 Charles Hollenberg Summer Studentship Program Coordinator.
- Dr. Adria Giacca and Dr. Minna Woo for providing scientific reviews for various BBDC funding programs this past year.
- The supporters who helped make our educational events possible over the past year: BD Medical, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly Canada, LifeScan/Animas, Medtronic of Canada, Merck Canada Inc., Nova Biomedical, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc., Pfizer Canada, Roche Diagnostics, Sanofi-aventis, Stand Up to Diabetes - Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Toronto Central LHIN Diabetes Regional Coordination Centre, Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, and the University Health Network
BBDC membership is free and open to individuals involved in full or part-time diabetes research, education, and patient care (i.e. scientists, physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, etc.), and whose primary appointment/employment (more than 50% of total salary) is with the University of Toronto or one of its affiliated institutions. Staff at both fully and partially affiliated institutions are eligible to apply for membership. For more information about BBDC membership, please view the MEMBERSHIP section of our web site at http://www.bbdc.org/membership/index.htm.
BBDC News is published in September, December, March and June of each year.
Current and past issues are available on our web site at
www.bbdc.org/newsletter/index.htm.
DIRECTOR: DANIEL J. DRUCKER, MD, FRCPC
Banting & Best Diabetes Centre
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Located at the Toronto General Hospital
200 Elizabeth Street
Eaton Building, 12th Floor, Room 12E248
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4
Phone: (416) 978-4656 • Fax: (416) 978-4108
E-mail:
diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca • Web site:
www.bbdc.org