BBDC Newsletter
Vol. 7, No. 4 -- June 2007UPCOMING EVENTS
National Symposium on Incretin Biology
To be held on Friday, November 16, 2007 at the U of T Residence, 89 Chestnut Street, Toronto. Speakers will include: Doris Stoffers, Frans Schuit , David D’Alessio, Chris McIntosh, and Ralph DeFronzo. Details to follow later this summer.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
pilot grants for innovative activities related to diabetes education, management, and care
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 to apply, the principal applicant and all co-applicants must be full-time health care professionals working at a University of Toronto-affiliated institution or with University of Toronto faculty. Eligible applicants include: Full-time physicians; nurses; dietitians; pharmacists and others on the front line of diabetes care. Full-time staff at both fully and partially affiliated University of Toronto institutions are eligible to apply. Interested individuals are asked to submit a one-page letter of intent and estimated budget to the BBDC by Tuesday, September 25, 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.
Upcoming Funding Opportunities
The following funding programs will be announced and information posted on our website by early July:
- Trainee Travel Awards - Period 1 (for travel occurring between July 1 and December 31, 2007). Application deadline October 2007.
- New Investigator Awards for Diabetes Research and Reuben & Helene Dennis Scholar in Diabetes Research. Application deadline October 2007.
AWARD RESULTS**
annual trainee awards
The following applicants are this year’s prize winners:
| Award | Applicant | Supervisor | Title of Research |
| 1st Prize (tied) | Christine Tang | Dr. Adria Giacca | β cell Glucotoxicity in vivo: Role of Superoxide Generation and the JNK pathway |
| 1st Prize (tied) | Helene Duez | Dr. Gary Lewis | Acute DDP-4 Inhibition but not GLP-1R Agonist Administration Rapidly Enhances Insulin-mediated Suppression of Endogenous Glucose Production in Mice |
| 2nd Prize | Danna Breen | Dr. Adria Giacca | Insulin Decreases Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration After Arterial Injury Through a Nitric Oxide Synthase-Dependent Mechanism |
| 3rd Prize | Simon Lee | Dr. Michael Wheeler | Uncoupling protein-2 modulation of reactive oxygen species and cell death in the β-cell |
| Honourable Mention | Patrick Lam | Dr. Herbert Gaisano | Munc18b regulates insulin secretion by docking of secretory granules in pancreatic islet β-cells |
| Honourable Mention | Changting Xiao | Dr. Gary Lewis | Oral antioxidant taurine but not oral N-acetylcysteine ameliorates free fatty acid-induced impairment in insulin sensitivity and beta cell function in obese and overweight, non-diabetic humans |
HUGH SELLERS POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AND
BBDC POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
The following applicants have been offered a 1-year post-doctoral fellowship:
| Award | Applicant | Supervisor(s) | Title of Research |
| Hugh Sellers Post-doctoral Fellowship | Holly Bates
|
Dr. Daniel Drucker |
The contribution of neuronal GLP-1 and GIP receptor signaling to their effects on glucose homeostasis, energy balance, and behaviour |
| BBDC Post-doctoral Fellowship | Roman Iakoubov | Dr. Patricia Brubaker | Elucidating the role of atypical Protein Kinase Czeta in free fatty acid induced glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion in vivo |
| BBDC Post-doctoral Fellowship | Marie Jeansson | Dr. Susan Quaggin | Crosstalk between podocytes and endothelium in the glomerular filtration barrier |
| BBDC Post-doctoral Fellowship | Alexey Podcheko
|
Dr. Maria Rozakis | Role of Plekstrin Homology Domain Interacting Protein 1 (PHIP1) in Prevention and Treatment of Experimental Type 2 Diabetes |
pilot and feasibility grants
The following have been offered Pilot and Feasibility funding:
| Applicant(s) | Title of Research | Amount |
| Dr. Tony K. T. Lam | Hypothalamic PKC and Hepatic Glucose Production | $30,000 |
| Dr. Ravi Retnakaran and Dr. Minna Woo | The Role of Erythropoietin in Promoting Pancreatic Beta Cell Survival and Function | $30,000 |
trainee travel awards – period 2
for travel occurring between january 1 and june 30, 2007
The following have each been offered a Trainee Travel Award of up to $1,000 Canadian:
Applicant |
Supervisor(s) |
Title of Research |
Kristin Beard |
Dr. I. George Fantus |
Bradykinin Sensitizes Rat Adipocytes to Insulin by Activation of Guanylate Cyclase/cGMP/Protein Kinase G and Inhibition of JNK and ERK1/2 |
Danna Breen |
Dr. Adria Giacca |
Insulin Decreases Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration After Arterial Injury Through A Nitric Oxide Synthase-Dependent Mechanism Reservatrol, a Red Wine Polyphenol, Inhibits Neointimal Growth by Decreasing Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration Independent of Nitric Oxide Synthase In Vivo |
Irene Hadjiyanni |
Dr. Daniel Drucker |
Exendin-4 Delays Diabetes Onset and Reduces the Severity of Insulitis in NOD mice. |
Michael Kiraly |
Dr. Stephen Matthews and Dr. Mladen Vranic |
Maintenance of euglycemia with long-term exercise is associated with improvements in beta cell function, and partial preservation of beta cell mass in male ZDF rats. |
Patrick Lam |
Dr. Herbert Gaisano |
Munc18b Regulates Insulin Secretion by Docking of Secretory Granules in Pancreatic Islet β cells |
Gareth Lim |
Dr. Patricia Brubaker |
Insulin Regulates Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Secretion from the Enteroendocrine L Cell Through a MEK/ ERK1/2-dependent Pathway |
Anna Radziszewska |
Dr. Minna Woo |
Absence of Caspase-3 protects beta cells from c-Myc induced apoptosis without leading to tumor formation. |
Janice Sarmiento |
Dr. Philippe Poussier |
Allelic Variation in PTPN22 is Associated with Increased T1D Susceptibility in the BB Rat |
Nish Saxena |
Dr. David Jenkins |
Some determinants of low glycemic index breads |
Christine Tang |
Dr. Adria Giacca |
Beta cell Glucotoxicity in vivo: Role of Superoxide Generation and the JNK Pathway |
Kanta Taniguchi |
Dr. I. George Fantus |
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Converting Enzyme (TACE) Mediates High Glucose-induced MAPK Activation in Rat Mesangial Cells |
Jessica Yue |
Dr. Mladen Vranic |
Recurrent stress attenuates expression of genes regulating hypoglycemic and restraint stress responses in diabetic rats |
Changting Xiao |
Dr. Gary Lewis |
Oral antioxidant taurine but not oral N-acetylcysteine ameliorates free fatty acid-induced impairment in insulin sensitivity and beta cell function in obese and overweight, non-diabetic humans |
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.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to express our gratitude to the members of our Research Committee and Diabetes Care and Education Committee who volunteer their time to review applications for the Centre’s numerous funding programs and to organize educational events on behalf of the BBDC. We wish to thank everyone who participated in Diabetes Update 2007, a highly successful continuing education event which was attended by approximately 675 healthcare professionals, as well as everyone who participated in our 18th Annual Scientific Day.
We would also like to thank the BBDC members who provided scientific reviews for various BBDC funding programs this past year. Obtaining scientific reviews from University of Toronto faculty who are involved in diabetes-related research is an integral part of the application review process. We appreciate their willingness to take time out from their busy schedules to review the applications.
Finally, we are grateful to the following supporters who have helped make our educational events possible over the past year: Animas Canada, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly Canada Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, LifeScan Canada Ltd., Medtronic Diabetes, Merck Frosst Canada Ltd., Merck Frosst/Schering Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc., Pfizer Canada Inc., Roche Diagnostics Canada, and Sanofi-Aventis.
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