BBDC Newsletter
Vol. 8, No. 3 -- March 2008THE BBDC HAS MOVED
The BBDC has moved to the 12th floor of the Eaton Wing at the Toronto General Hospital. All visitors, mail, and courier deliveries should be directed to: Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, Located at the Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth Street, Eaton Wing, 12th Floor, Room 12E248, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4. Our phone and fax numbers are unchanged.
UPDATES FOR BBDC'S WEBSITE
Did you know that the RESEARCH PROFILES and the CLINICAL TRIALS sections are the two most visited web pages of the BBDC's website www.bbdc.org? This is one of the reasons why we ask our members to update the information on these web pages on an annual basis.
Member Profile Updates
We ask BBDC members involved in research to take a few seconds to review their BBDC website profile and contact information which is posted in the RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY section of our web site (see http://www.bbdc.org/research/profiles.htm). It is very important that the information on this page be kept up to date since it’s a primary resource for students and postdoctoral fellows seeking potential supervisors as well as members of the media interested in interviewing researchers involved in a particular area of diabetes research. Please forward any changes to your contact information or research profile to diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca by Friday, April 11, 2008. (Please do not include publications.)
We have recently added a listing of BBDC members involved in diabetes care and education to our MEMBERSHIP section (see http://www.bbdc.org/membership/edu&care.htm.) Members listed in this section who are interested in adding their contact information and profession should send an e-mail to diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca by Friday, April 11, 2008.
Clinical Trial Listing Updates
The BBDC posts information on clinical research trials relevant to diabetes and it's complications that are ongoing at the University of Toronto and its affiliated hospitals in the CLINICAL TRIALS section of our website (see http://www.bbdc.org/clinicalTrials/index.htm). This information is intended to be a resource both for patients interested in participating in clinical trials in the Greater Toronto Area, and for research professionals. If you would like to add a listing, please complete the table below and forward it to the BBDC at diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca by Friday, April 11, 2008.
| Nameof Trial | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Primary Investigator | |
| Supporting Centre | |
| Start and End Dates of Trial | Start Date: End Date: |
| Objective of Trial | |
| Description of Trial | 200 words or less |
| Patient Recruitment Criteria | |
| Patient Reimbursement | |
| Contact Information | Include name, address, telephone, fax or e-mail address. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
bBDC SEMINAR SERIES
The BBDC will be hosting the following seminar which is held in conjunction with City-wide Endocrine Rounds. The seminar will be held from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Mount Sinai Hospital, Lebovic Building, 60 Murray Street, 3rd floor conference room.
April 18, 2008
Regeneration of the Pancreatic Beta Cells: The Role of Pancreatic Progenitors
Susan Bonner-Weir, PhD
Joslin Diabetes Center; Harvard Medical School
19th ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC DAY
Members of the BBDC and their trainees are invited to attend our 19th Annual Scientific Day which will be held on Friday, May 9, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Vaughan Estate, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto. This year's Charles Hollenberg Lecture will be presented by guest speaker Dr. Gerald I. Shulman, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Professor of Internal Medicine and Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine. The program will also include guest speaker Dr. Michael Riddell (York University, Toronto) and from the University of Toronto: Dr. Shelley Boyd, Dr. Roman Iakoubov, Dr. Gordon Keller, and Dr. Bernard Zinman. BBDC postdoctoral fellowship and graduate studentship recipients will present posters of their work, and winners of the Annual Trainee Awards competition will be announced. This event is open and free to BBDC Members and their trainees, however, registration is required by Wednesday, April 23. The complete program, registration form, and directions to Vaughan Estate are available on our website at http://www.bbdc.org/educationalAct/scientificDay.htm .
BBDC TO HOST SATELLITE SYMPOSIUM
Mark your calendar! The Banting and Best Diabetes Centre 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 meeting will be held October 16-17, 2009 at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto. The symposium 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 be drawn from a wide variety of national and international faculty. Please view the symposium’s website www.betacell2009.ca for more information. Details will be posted as they become available.
LATE OR INCOMPLETE BBDC APPLICATIONS
Please note that the BBDC does not accept late or incomplete applications. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all items requested are provided by the deadline date. This includes providing the requested number of copies of the application and supporting documents. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Items such as transcripts and reference letters must also arrive by the deadline date, so please request them well in advance.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
TRAINEE TRAVEL AWARDS – PERIOD 2
FOR TRAVEL OCCURRING BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND JUNE 30, 2008
A limited number of travel awards of up to $1,000 (Canadian) are available to trainees who will be traveling to a national or international meeting between January 1 and June 30, 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 4 p.m., March 26, 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.
BBDC GRADUATE STUDENTSHIPS 2008/2009
The Banting and Best Diabetes Centre is accepting applications for the following graduate studentships:
1) BBDC-Novo Nordisk Studentships (OSOTF+)
2) Yow Kam-Yuen Graduate Scholarship in Diabetes Research (OSOTF+)
3) Tamarack Graduate Award in Diabetes Research (OSOTF+)
4) BBDC-University Health Network Graduate Awards
Students need only submit one application to be considered for all four studentships. To be eligible to apply, an applicant must be a registered full-time graduate student in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto by August 31, 2008, and must be carrying out studies in diabetes research. The student'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 applicant is required to demonstrate financial need and must be either a Canadian citizen or have permanent residence status in Ontario by August 31, 2008. The deadline for receipt of applications is 4 p.m., Monday, June 2, 2008. Please note that supervisors may submit a maximum of 2 applications for this competition. 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.
(+Ontario Students Opportunity Trust Fund)
Sally and Paul Wang Distinguished Graduate Scholarship Award
This award is administered by the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). The IBBME is now accepting applications for the new Sally and Paul Wang Distinguished Graduate Scholarship Award. One scholarship is awarded annually to a full-time graduate student who has demonstrated financial need and has established outstanding academic and extra-curricular leadership. To be eligible, applicants must be registered full-time degree students and in good standing in the second or third year of a doctoral program at the University of Toronto at the time of application. Preference will be given to students who are registered in the IBBME, and/or supervised or co-supervised by a member of the School of Graduate Studies faculty who is also a staff member in the IBBME or member of the BBDC, or students working in the area of diabetic research. For complete award details and application instructions see the IBBME website at http://www.ibbme.utoronto.ca/programs/graduate/funding/internal.htm. The deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, April 25, 2008. For further information, contact IBBME Student Services at (416) 978-4841 or at admissions.ibbme@utoronto.ca.
* 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**
Archie Sopman Diabetes Research And Education Awards 2008
The following have been offered funding:
| Applicant | Position and UHN Site TWH = Toronto Western; TGH = Toronto General |
Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Kathy Camelon | Practice Leader, Clinical Nutrition, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Lucia Chan | Registered Nurse, TWH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Vivien Cheng Phaik Chou | Registered Nurse, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Kathy Cohen | Registered Dietitian, TWH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Ann Cook | Registered Nurse, Diabetes Educator, TWH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Margaret De Melo | Practice Leader, Clinical Nutrition, TWH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Anne Guilar | Clinical Dietitian, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Louisa Li | Clinical Dietitian, TWH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Ellen Lam | Registered Nurse, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Lorna Lawrence | Clinical Dietitian, TWH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Kitty Mak | Diabetes Nurse Clinician, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Ann Murphy | Clinical Dietitian, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Julie Paterson | Nurse Clinician, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Marianne Sigmond | Clinical Nurse Specialist, Diabetes, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Mary Weiland | Clinical Dietitian, Diabetes Educator, TWH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
| Martha Wright | Nurse Clinician, Diabetes, TGH | Travel to diabetes meeting |
Charles Hollenberg Summer Studentships 2008
The following have been offered funding:
| Applicant | Supervisor | Title of Research |
|---|---|---|
| Ausma Ahmed | Dr. Patricia Brubaker | Long-chain fatty acid uptake mechanisms in rat intestine |
| Anna Amelchenkov | Dr. Peter Backx | Transcriptional regulation of K+ currents in pancreatic beta-cells |
| Arash Azin | Dr. Amira Klip | Primary muscle cell cultures to study insulin action |
| Eric Chan | Dr. Mladen Vranic | Effects of Antagonizing Somatostatin on Glucagon Responses to Hypoglycemia |
| Wing Chee Cheung | Dr. Tony Lam | Metabolic impact of small intestinal nutrient sensing |
| Pejman R. Giglou | Dr. Michael Wheeler | Substance P modulation of pancreatic insulin secretion in normal and diabetic mice |
| Jesse Goldmacher | Dr. Carolyn Cummins | Investigating the mechanism of glucocorticoid resistance in LXR-null mice |
| Jennifer Jayakar | Dr. Denise Belsham | Glucose sensing in hypothalamic neurons |
| Aneta Krakowski | Dr. J. M. Wojtowicz | Diabetes and neurogenesis - a new window on diabetic neuropathy |
| Meng Li | Dr. Qinghua Wang | Mechanism of insulin action on glucagon secretion in mouse pancreas. |
| Gordana Maric | Dr. Minna Woo | Investigation of the protective effects of beta-cell specific PTEN ablation in a dexamethasone-induced type 2 diabetes model |
| Rebecca Mathew | Dr. Donna Stewart | The lived Experiences of Diabetes Self-Management: A Qualitative Analysis of Gender Differences Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes |
| Philip Mok | Dr. I. George Fantus | Role of Thioredoxin-interacting protein in beta-cell apopotosis |
| Sabreena Sadat | Dr. Dominic Ng | Impact of monogenic low HDL syndrome on glucose and energy homeostasis |
| Eric Wong | Dr. Michelle Bendeck | The functions of smooth muscle cell and macrophage discoidin domain receptor 1 in atherosclerosis: Analysis by bone marrow transplant |
DIABETES EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2007
The following nominee has been selected to receive the Diabetes Educator of the Year Award for 2007. The award will be presented to the recipient at the Toronto Diabetes Association Annual Meeting to be held on Thursday, May 1, 2008 at Mount Sinai Hospital.
| Nominee | Title | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Brundage, RN, BHSc(N), CDE | Diabetes Nurse Educator, Women's College Hospital |
$2,000 |
* 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.
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
Max Bell Research Centre, 4th Floor, 4R402
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4
Phone: (416) 978-4656 • Fax: (416) 978-4108
E-mail: diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca • Website:
www.bbdc.org