The UF Diabetes Center is pleased to welcome Eleni Polopolus Sheehan, BSN, RN, to our team. Eleni will serve as a clinical research coordinator and work on studies including the T1D Exchange and The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) Study. Ms. Sheehan left a career in marketing and non-profit development to pursue a career in diabetes research and clinical care. Read more.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have completed testing on an insulin-transplant technique which delivers pancreatic islet-cells from human donors to type 1 patients. If approved by the FDA, the pilot treatment could revolutionize existing treatment options for T1D patients by helping them remain insulin-free after five years. Read more.
Insulet's new OmniPod System, approved by the FDA is 34% smaller, 25% lighter and 16% slimmer. And although it's smaller, it still holds up to 200 units of insulin which can be worn continuously for up to three days. Learn how you can acquire your own.
UF Diabetes Researchers from the Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine participated in UF's First Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium, sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Office of the Provost. Their work highlights the latest progress being made in the advancement of type 1 diabetes research. Learn more.
A recent study co-authored by UF researcher Dr. Stephen Hsu identifies a "master protein" which may be the key to unlocking weight loss. By deleting the protein, mice in the study, became leaner -- even if they ate high-fat diets. While studies still need to be done in humans, scientists have unveiled a key biological mechanism underlying a problem: Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, as are one-third of children and teens. "If we treat obesity, the rationale is to prevent type 2 diabetes."
Twenty-six percent of women with breast cancer in a recent study had previously undiagnosed diabetes, according to research published in BMC Cancer. "In breast cancer, previously undiagnosed diabetes is associated with advanced stage cancer and increased mortality," researchers wrote. "Identifying biological factors would require further investigation."
With the hopes of soon becoming a diabetes educator and a nurse, Eleni Polopolus Sheehan, graduate student at the University of Florida, reminds us that anything is possible in the year of 2013. Learn about her story and others.
The University of Florida Diabetes Center of Excellence, in conjunction with UF’s College of Medicine and other UF-affiliated program sponsors, hosts numerous events including research seminars with topics presented by investigators from around the United States and the world. We hope you will be able to join us for an upcoming event.
The American Diabetes Association is launching a bold new program, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, in an effort to inspire and support a new generation of diabetes researchers. Through awards of $1.625 million over the course of five to seven years, the program 'will transform diabetes research by discovering young brilliant scientists and provide them with the resources needed for breakthrough discoveries.' Read more.
In a recent study published in Diabetes Care, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that pancreatic islet transplantation, a procedure in which islets are taken from the pancreas of an organ donor and implanted in another person, resulted in decreased artery plaque build-up (atherosclerosis) and improved glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. Read more.
