BBDC Newsletter
Vol. 7, No. 2-- December 2006NEW BBDC MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY
Membership is now open to individuals involved in full and part-time diabetes research, education, and patient care and employed at the University of Toronto or its affiliated institutions (e.g. scientists, physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other allied health care professionals). Staff at all fully and partially affiliated institutions are eligible to apply for BBDC membership. For a complete list of affiliated institutions and information on how to register your free membership, please see the membership section of the BBDC’s web site at http://www.bbdc.org/membership/index.htm .
WEB SITE: WWW.BBDC.ORG
rEQUEST FOR 2006 DIABETES RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
It is time to update our web site to include the 2006 diabetes research highlights of our members. The highlights section is intended to increase public awareness of
the many exciting diabetes-related research developments that occur each year at the University of Toronto. We ask BBDC members who are involved in research to forward one or two descriptions
of their diabetes research carried out, and if applicable, published during the 2006 calendar year. For examples on how to format your paragraph, please see the 2005 Diabetes Research Highlights at http://www.bbdc.org/research/highlights2005.htm. Please
be reminded that provision of a one paragraph update is a pre-requisite for maintaining eligibility for BBDC membership and funding.
What we need from our members:
Please forward the following information by e-mail to diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca by January 31, 2007:
1) Your name and department(s)
2) One paragraph (200 words maximum) describing, IN LAY
LANGUAGE, the diabetes-related research that you have been involved
in during the year 2006. If applicable, provide one or two references of
papers you have published in the year 2006 related to the research you
describe. For consistency of style, only papers available on the PubMed web
site should be cited. Provide the web page address where publication
appears on the PubMed web site.
member profile updates
Every January, we ask BBDC Members to take a few seconds to review their BBDC web site 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 web page be kept up to date since it’s a primary resource for students and postdoctoral fellows seeking potential supervisors. Please forward any changes or additions to diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca.
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 web site (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 by e-mail at diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca .
Name of 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 seminars are held in conjunction with City-wide Endocrine Rounds which are held on selected Friday mornings from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Mount Sinai Hospital, Lebovic Building, 60 Murray Street, 3rd floor conference room. Upcoming seminars include:
| December 15, 2006 | The Islet in Type 2 Diabetes Peter C. Butler, MD Professor of Medicine Director, Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center at UCLA Los Angeles, California |
| January 19, 2007 | GLP-1 and Cardioprotection: More Than Glycemic Control |
DIABETES UPDATE 2007 - Innovative and Emerging therapies in the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes
DIABETES UPDATE 2007 will be held on Friday, March 23, 2007 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. DIABETES UPDATE is a biannual continuing education event which is attended by over 600 health care professionals including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists from across Ontario and beyond. The full-day event will focus on innovative and emerging therapies in the management of diabetes and associated conditions. Topics will include: the use of new insulin delivery and monitoring systems; the use of incretins in the management of diabetes; the emerging role of the pharmacist in the diabetes care team; new approaches to obesity in adults and children; and emerging therapies for women with diabetes. The program will consist of several lectures and interactive sessions, and will include internationally renowned guest speakers Paul Ciechanowski, Tino Montopoli, and John Walsh as well as equally renowned local health care professionals Glenn Berall, Anna Brundage, Daniel Drucker, Sheila Laredo, Lawrence Leiter, Gary Sibbald, and Dana Whitham. The complete program and on-line registration form are available on the Faculty of Medicine Continuing Education web site at http://www.cme.utoronto.ca/education/listing.asp (enter course code BDC0701).
annual scientific day
Mark your calendar. The BBDC’s 18th Annual Scientific Day will be held on Friday, May 11, 2007 at Vaughan Estate, at the Estates of Sunnybrook. The program will include presentations from University of Toronto faculty and staff and this year’s guest speaker Dr. Marc Montminy from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California. The complete program and registration information will be available in February 2007.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
BBDC postdoctoral fellowships and
Hugh sellers postdoctoral fellowship 2007-2008
The Banting and Best Diabetes Centre will be awarding a number of postdoctoral fellowships, including one Hugh Sellers Postdoctoral Fellowship to qualified applicants. The one-year fellowships (normally commencing on July 1, 2007) are to be used for full-time research training in diabetes. To be eligible, the candidate's proposed supervisor must hold a full-time faculty appointment with the University of Toronto and must be conducting diabetes research. The proposed supervisor must be a registered member* of the BBDC at the time of application submission. Candidates must have received a Ph.D. after July 2003, or an M.D. after July 1998 and must be within their first four (4) years of postgraduate research training. The deadline for receipt of applications is 4 p.m., Tuesday, January 16, 2007. 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.
charles hollenberg summer studentship program 2007
This program provides an opportunity for qualified undergraduate and/or medical students to carry out full-time summer research in diabetes in the laboratory of a member* of the BBDC. Successful students will be required to work for a minimum of 12 weeks between May 1 and August 31, 2007. The proposed supervisor must hold a full-time faculty appointment with the University of Toronto, and must be conducting diabetes research. The proposed supervisor must also be a registered member* of the BBDC at the time of application submission. To find a supervisor, students should approach professors with whom they are interested in working to discuss the possibility of a summer position. A list of BBDC members, their research interests, and contact information can be found on the BBDC’s web site at http://www.bbdc.org/research/profiles.htm . This competition is not restricted to University of Toronto students. The deadline for receipt of applications is 4 p.m., Tuesday, January 30, 2007. 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.
annual trainee awards (Sponsored by Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.)
Undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are invited to submit an abstract for the BBDC’s Annual Trainee Awards competition. The abstract must be directly related to an area of diabetes research, and the trainee must be first author. The trainee’s supervisor must hold a full-time faculty appointment with the University of Toronto, and must be conducting diabetes research. The trainee’s supervisor must also be a registered member* of the BBDC at the time of application submission. Winners will receive their prizes at the BBDC Annual Scientific Day to be held on Friday, May 11, 2007 at Vaughan Estate. The deadline for receipt of abstracts is 4 p.m., Tuesday, January 30, 2007. 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. The BBDC would like to thank Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. for providing the prizes for this funding program.
Archie Sopman Diabetes Research &
Education Awards 2007
(For University Health Network Employees Only)
This funding program is only open to University Health Network staff physicians, dietitians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, scientists, research technicians, or clinical trial coordinators who are involved in diabetes research, education, or clinical care. Applicants must be employed by the University Health Network on either a full-time or part-time basis. Funding is available for travel to one national or international diabetes meeting occurring in the year 2007, or to support a visiting lecturer in diabetes or metabolic disorders visiting in the year 2007. Please note that research fellows, clinical fellows, students, and those working at a U.H.N. site but are employed by the University of Toronto or other institution are not eligible to apply. The deadline for receipt of applications is 4 p.m., February 27, 2007. 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.
PILOT AND FEASIBILITY GRANTS 2007-2008
This program provides funding of up to $30,000 per applicant, for one year, to enable eligible investigators to explore new initiatives in the area of diabetes research. This funding is not to be used as bridging or emergency funding, nor is it intended as funding for ongoing studies. To be eligible, the principal applicant and all co-applicants must be full-time faculty members of the University of Toronto. Applicants who are new to the field of diabetes research do not need to be a member of the BBDC but are encouraged to join the membership. The following individuals would qualify for grant support:
1) New faculty members who have not yet obtained their own independent funding.2) Established investigators in non-diabetes related fields who are entering into new pilot and/or feasibility studies related to diabetes.
3) Established investigators in an area related to diabetes research who are proposing new pilot and/or feasibility diabetes-related studies that are completely unrelated to current lines of research. Applicants must be exploring a completely new research direction entirely unrelated to their current or past research.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 4 p.m., March 6, 2007. 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 2)
For Travel Occurring Between January 1 And June 30, 2007
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, 2007 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 or postdoctoral fellows conducting diabetes research at the University of Toronto. 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 27, 2007. 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.
* Faculty who are new to the field of diabetes research and are not members of the BBDC can request free membership by contacting the Centre prior to submitting an application. To be eligible for BBDC Membership, one must hold a full time faculty appointment with the University of Toronto and must be involved in diabetes research. For more information about BBDC Membership, please view the MEMBERSHIP section of our web site.
AWARD RESULTS**
trainee travel awards (period 1)
for travel occurring between july 1 and december 31, 2006
The following have each been offered a Trainee Travel Award of up to $1,000 Canadian:
| Name | Supervisor | Title of Abstract(s) |
| Feihan Dai | Dr. Michael Wheeler | Visinin-like-protein-1 (VILIP-1) is expressed in pancreatic β-cells and regulates insulin secretion and insulin gene transcription |
| Grace Flock | Dr. Daniel Drucker | The classic incretin receptors for GLP-1 and GIP are essential for the sustained glucoregulatory actions of Vildagliptin in mice |
| Joanne Hsieh | Dr. Khosrow Adeli | Glucagon-Like Peptides (GLP-1 and GLP-2) Regulate Intestinal Production of ApoB48-Containing Lipoproteins: Evidence for Differential Regulation and Implications in Intestinal Fat Absorption |
| Diana Islam | Dr. Tianru Jin | Examination of the Role of Epac Signaling Pathway in Regulating Proglucagon Gene Expression in Pancreatic A Cells |
| Benjamin Lamont | Dr. Daniel Drucker | Differential anti-diabetic efficacy of incretin agonists vs. DDP-4 inhibition in high fat fed mice |
| Andrei Oprescu | Dr. Adria Giacca | Role of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Lipid-Induced β-cell Dysfunction |
| Varinder Randhawa | Dr. Amira Klip | Regulating cell surface GLUT4 arrival and fusion in L6 skeletal muscle cells |
| Simon Smukler | Dr. Derek van der Kooy | Adult Mammalian Pancreas-Derived Multipotent Stem Cells |
| Ilana Talior | Dr. Amira Klip | α-Actinin-4 binds to GLUT4 and participates in insulin-dependent GLUT4 mobilization towards the plasma membrane |
| Diana Wong | Dr. Khosrow Adeli | Proteomic Profiling of Prechylomicron Transport Vesicles (PCTVs) involved in Assembly and Secretion of AboB48-containing Chylomicrons in the Intestine Enterocytes |
| Ling Xia | Dr. Catherine Whiteside | 1) In High Glucose Mesangial Cell Upregulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor is Dependent on Protein Kinase C-β1 and Reactive Oxygen Species
2) Mesangil Cell Downregulation of Alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin Expression in 3-Dimentional Culture Reversed by Growth Factor or High Glucose Activation of Protein Kinase C and ERK1/2 |
Award results are also posted in the Funding Decisions section of the BBDC’s web site.
** 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