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The primary focus of the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Research Forum is to provide a platform for fellows and junior investigators to present their research projects and to engage in feedback discussions with the expert faculty and their peers. The program enables participants to learn the important components of quality research, both clinical and basic, and to determine the skill set required to develop a successful career in diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disorder research.
The 2022 Research Forum featured didactic lectures by expert faculty specializing in a variety of Endocrine areas, project presentations by the 2020 Fellow Grant Program award recipients, a fellows poster gallery, and opportunities for interactive Q&A.

Faculty

Ralph DeFronzo, MD
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Diabetes Division, UT Health San Antonio, Holder of the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long Dist. Chair in Diabetes, Deputy Director of the Texas Diabetes Institute, San Antonio, Texas
SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 RAs: CardioRenal Metabolic Drugs for the Ages In this session Dr. DeFronzo will review the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes and mechanisms of hyperglycemia along with the recent Cardiovascular and renal outcome data from the SGLT-2 and GLP_1 class. He will also talk about the physiologic and outcomes based rationale behind combination therapy.
Silva Arslanian, MD
Richard L. Day Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical and Translational Science, Director, Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center (PCTRC), and Scientific Director, Center for Pediatric Research in Obesity and Metabolism (CPROM), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Type 2 Diabetes: Contrast between Youth and Adults In this session Dr. Arslanian will review the pathophysiology of youth-onset type 2 diabetes, its complications and management strategies. In addition, she will compare the pathophysiological components between youth and adults and present the outcomes of interventions in restoring b-cell function between these two age groups.
Rodolfo Galindo, MD, FACE
Associate Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Investigator, Center for Diabetes and Metabolism Research, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Medical Chair, Hospital Diabetes Taskforce, Emory Healthcare System, Atlanta Georgia
Moving Beyond HbA1c: New CGM-based Glucose Control Metrics In this session Dr. Galindo will discuss the evolution of glucose control metrics, from benedict reaction (briefly), passing by the HbA1c validation studies, then explaining in detailed new CGM metrics. He will also talk about the correlation between estimated HbA1c and time-in-range, and validation of TIR with diabetes-related complications.
John Bilezikian, MD, PhD (hon)
Silberberg Professor of Medicine Vice Chair, International Education and Research Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University, New York, New York
Diabetes and Skeletal Health In this session, Dr. Bilezikian will review the evidence that implicates Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for poor skeletal health. These risk factors will be considered in the context of overall risk of osteoporosis in Diabetes mellitus.

Fellow Research Project Presentations:

  • Ilana Ramer Bass, MD, MPH, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Racial Disparities in Systemic Hyperinsulinemia and Breast Cancer Insulin Receptor Signaling
  • Diana, Soliman, MD, Duke University, Transition from Pediatric to Adult Care in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: a Longitudinal Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes
  • Rebecca Aguirre, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital, The Role of Beta-Cell Exosomal Proinsulin in the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes
  • Jia Zhu, MD, Boston Children's Hospital, Dissecting PCOS Physiology by Defining Phenotypes Associated with PCOS Genetic Risk Factors in Children
  • Nina Suda, MD, Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital, Jagged1-Notch Signaling Determines ß cell Maturity and Function
  • Emily Rosenberg, MD, The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc., Uncovering the Role of Dietary Fat and Protein in Glycemic Physiology in Gestational Diabetes
  • Ankur Rughani, MD, Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, The Impact of Maternal Diabetes on miRNA 146b in Fetal Tissue

Learning Objectives

  • Identify new areas of diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disorder research that offer new inroads to effective therapies
  • Identify key components to be included in diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disorders basic science and clinical research
  • Discuss research study designs that may improve on current approaches to management of diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disorders
  • Enhance skills in scientific thought and discussion through mentor and group-driven discussion of research and presentations
  • Develop a better understanding of "what it takes" to become an expert researcher in diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease and to develop a career in academic medicine
  • Enhance research presentation skills in a peer-reviewed setting

Educational Support

The 2022 educational activity was supported by unrestricted educational grants from: AstraZeneca and Medtronic.

2020 Research Forum Teams

Endocrine Fellow Foundation
EFF is a 501c(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to foster the advancement of fellows in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism through mentoring, education, research funding and career support.
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