Every step is a step closer to the cure.
This unique partnership ensures that type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains a priority in Canadian health research and is based on a shared vision of improved care, treatment, outcomes, and cures for those living with T1D.
Research Strategy Infographic…
This unique partnership ensures that type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains a priority in Canadian health research and is based on a shared vision of improved care, treatment, outcomes, and cures for those living with T1D.
In 2017, JDRF partnered with the Government of Canada, announcing a new $30 million Partnership to Defeat Diabetes. Through this landmark partnership, JDRF and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) each committed $15 million to jointly fund research to improve the quality of life for Canadians living with T1D and drive efforts to cure the disease. This Partnership was renewed for a further $30 million through Federal Budget 2021 and through further matched funding from JDRF Canada, now being allocated across three different areas of research: precision medicine, psychosocial health, and screening for T1D risk.
By leveraging funds from multiple sources and combining the strengths and expertise of two funders, the partnership increases the speed at which novel research is conducted – all with one ultimate goal in mind – turning type 1 into type none.
The JDRF-CIHR Partnership is currently supporting the following projects:
JDRF-CIHR: Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Innovative Clinical Trials
Using New Therapies and Interactive Technologies to Reduce Hypoglycemic Risk
The BETTER (BEhaviors, Therapies, TEchnologies and hypoglycemic Risk in Type 1 pediabetes) project is focused on measuring and reducing hypoglycemia in people with T1D.
Dr. Rémi Rabasa-Lhoret (Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal) and his team have developed a registry of people with T1D to identify the needs and realities related to the disease. As of March, 2021 the registry included more than 1500 people with T1D. They are also conducting several small trials testing new approaches for hypoglycemia treatment.
Improving Glucose Control and Preventing Complications in Adolescents with T1D
Dr. Farid Mahmud (The Hospital for Sick Children) is leading a clinical trial that is testing the effects of dapagliflozin (a drug currently approved for use in type 2 diabetes and known for its metabolic and health benefits) added to insulin therapy in adolescents and young adults with T1D who are at a higher risk of developing complications, such as kidney and heart disease. Dapagliflozin reduces the amount of glucose the kidneys reabsorb into the blood, thereby allowing more to pass through the urine, improving glucose control.
Improving Outcomes for Persons with T1D using a Novel Virtual Care Platform
Dr. Gillian Booth, (Centre for Urban Health Solutions within the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital) is exploring a new approach to T1D care in the Type 1 Diabetes Virtual Self-Management Education and Support (T1ME) trial.
In this trial, Dr. Booth and her team are testing whether a new digital platform that optimizes the way health care is delivered to people with T1D can improve glucose control and patient experiences. The platform has been developed in consultation with people living with T1D and includes a “virtual library” about T1D management.
JDRF-CIHR: Accelerating Stem Cell Therapies for T1D
Cell Replacement Therapy Without Immunosuppression
Dr. Maria Cristina Nostro (McEwen Stem Cell Institute at University Health Network and her team are developing new transplantation strategies and universal donor stem cells to develop a superior islet-like product for people with T1D that will require little or no immunosuppression.
Dr. Nostro’s team will leverage their expertise in stem cell biology, vascular biology, islet transplantation and beta cell biology to address these challenges and work to develop a safe and effective clinical-grade product for therapy. The outcome from these studies will accelerate universal donor stem cell-based T1D therapies.
Scaling up and Refining a Designer Cell Replacement Product
Dr. Francis Lynn (University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Research Institute) has assembled a team that will create insulin-producing cells from human stem cells. By combining expertise in single-cell technologies, genome editing, immunology, and stem cell and islet biology the team will produce a new and improved cell source for cell replacement therapy for T1D. Ideally, the new cell source will be ready for clinical trial testing in a few years.
JDRF-CIHR: Microbiome Initiative
Gaining Insights into the Causes of T1D by Studying the Gut Microbiome
New cases of T1D are on the rise, and there is little doubt that our environment plays a role. The gut microbiome – the complex community of bacteria that live in the intestine – has emerged as a potentially important factor in determining risk of T1D.
Dr. Jayne Danska (Hospital for Sick Children) is leading a multidisciplinary team that will examine how different microbes protect from or potentiate T1D, what these microbes do in developing infants, which will inform development of new therapeutics that prevent or treat the disease – advancing towards cures.
JDRF-CIHR: Human Immunology Initiative
Unravelling the Immunology of T1D to Uncover New Avenues to Cure
In this Team Grant, Dr. Megan Levings (University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute)brings together an all-star cast of Canadian T1D researchers to undertake studies that address questions including: what are the essential immune regulatory networks that become compromised in people with T1D? How can we restore these networks to stimulate beta cell regeneration and cure T1D?
The team is collecting and studying samples from dozens of people with T1D, as well as people at risk of T1D, to identify the breaches in normal immune regulation that cause the disease. In parallel, the team will also explore new approaches for immune cell therapies that could cure the disease.
JDRF-CIHR: Diabetes Mechanisms & Translational Solutions
Building CAPACIty for pediatric diabetes research and quality improvement across Canada
Dr. Shazhan Amed (B.C Children’s Hospital) and her team: have created the CAnadian PediAtric diabetes Consortium (CAPACIty) – a network of 15 childhood diabetes centers from across Canada – to jointly design and develop a Canada-wide childhood diabetes registry and research platform. With close involvement of patients, families, and healthcare providers, the registry will improve diabetes care and health outcomes for Canadian youth with T1D. The registry will provide comparison of diabetes care quality and outcomes between Canadian diabetes centers, quality improvement initiatives, patient-informed research initiatives across Canada, and advocacy work.
Developing personalized diabetes therapy: A first-in-human trial of autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (ipsc)-derived islets
Dr. James Shapiro (University of Alberta) and his team will develop a stem cell-based therapy to replace or supplement damaged B-cells in people with all types of diabetes.
They propose to manufacture new B-like cells from patients’ own blood cells so that they will be accepted by the immune system and no/minimal anti-rejection drugs are needed. In this project, they will conduct a first-in-human trial to implant these cells under the patient’s skin and evaluate their safety and preliminary efficacy.
Being able to transplant an unlimited supply of self-derived islet cells without immunosuppressants is a novel approach to treat all forms of diabetes.
A deep phenotyping network for understanding human islet variation in health and diabetes
Dr. Patrick MacDonald (Canada Research Chair; University of Alberta) and his teamseeks to understand the variability in human islet function in relation to genetic and environmental impacts on diabetes risk and to identify mechanisms of islet dysfunction in diabetes. To do this they will take advantage of extensive data on the molecular, cellular, and physiological function of islets from human organ donors. They will also produce tools and resources so that other researchers can explore this data to answer their own questions about islet dysfunction in diabetes.
Designing stem cell-derived islets for diabetes therapy
Dr. Tim Kieffer (University of British Columbia, JDRF Centre of Excellence) and his team are manufacturing stem cell-derives islets for transplantation. To date, islet transplantation has been a very successful procedure, but is hindered by the need for donor islets and ongoing immunosuppression therapy.
Over the past several years, there have been remarkable breakthroughs in unravelling the process by which islet cells develop naturally in the body. As a result, Dr. Kieffer and his team are aiming to significantly improve upon the manufacturing of the islet cells to obtain more robust insulin delivery, with a focus on generating an optimized process to mass-produce stem cell-derived islet cells that will form the basis for new clinical trials in patients with type 1 diabetes.
JDRF-CIHR: Precision Medicine in T1D
Precise Treatment for Pediatric Diabetes: Providing the right care, for the right patient, at the right time, over time
Dr. Shazhan Amed (University of British Columbia) and her team will use this grant to fill the information management gap in pediatric T1D care. TrustSphere will be the ‘one trusted place’ for kids with T1D that brings them, their families, and their healthcare providers together to manage their diabetes information and provide the right care to the right patient at the right time. Patients, families, and their healthcare providers will have access to important diabetes information, like blood sugars and insulin doses streaming from glucose sensors and insulin pumps, or recommendations from the diabetes team – all in one digital tool.
EVERYONE: Empowering diverse youth with diabetes through precision medicine
Dr. Farid Mahmud (The Hospital for Sick Children; SickKids) and his team will examine the impact of diversity (genetics, race, sex, gender, income, family support, mental health, etc.) on diabetes management in youth by applying artificial intelligence approaches. The experiences and barriers faced when receiving diabetes care will be gathered through interviews and feedback from youth with T1D and their families. Armed with this information, the team will develop individualized treatment strategies that consider patient diversity and conduct a clinical trial to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the program.
Leveraging biological sex and genetics for beta cell-directed precision medicine in type 1 diabetes
Dr. Elizabeth Rideout (University of British Columbia) investigates the effect of biological sex on metabolic genes and pathways. In this JDRF-CIHR grant, her team will apply this work to T1D by examining how beta cell dysfunction differs between biological males and females during the progression of T1D. Rates of T1D are higher in biological males than females, and there is evidence of sex-specific responses to insulin and beta cell functioning in T1D. Despite this, most T1D studies have used only male animal models and participants, and of those that did use both sexes, most failed to compare data between the sexes.
Spatio-temporal dynamics of immune and non-immune islet injury in type 1 diabetes
Dr. Peter Thompson (University of Manitoba) focuses on the heterogeneity (individual differences) of beta cells within an islet and how individual cells may respond differently to immune system attacks and stressors. T1D varies greatly between individuals in terms of time to onset, rate of progression, and insulin requirements, but the reasons underlying these differences are unknown. This team grant will investigate the functional “hierarchies” that appear to be present amongst beta cells. Specifically, the team will look at “leader” or “hub” beta cells within an islet that are guiding and coordinating the function of the rest of the cells.
JDRF-CIHR: Diabetes, Psychosocial Health, Prevention and Self-Management
Aiming for something sweeter: Supporting youth with T1D during transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care
Dr. Sonia Butalia (University of Calgary) and her team are researching the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care in people with T1D. Dr. Butalia and her team have previously created a transition intervention that supports teens through texting, emails, phone calls, and social media groups via non-medical transition coordinators. Dr. Butalia will use the JDRF-CIHR grant to expand this program to 5 major sites in Alberta and evaluate the impact of the program on participants’ mental health, diabetes management and care transition, and cost effectiveness of the program.
Adaptation and pilot evaluation of a digital intervention targeting the psychosocial needs of individuals with pregestational diabetes
Dr. Deborah Da Costa (McGill University) and her team are experts in maternal mental health and have previously developed a successful digital intervention for pregnant and postpartum women and birthing persons. They will now use the JDRF-CIHR grant to collaborate with diabetes experts – primarily those living with T1D and T2D – to adapt their platform for women and birthing persons with pregestational diabetes. The new adaptation – HealthyMoms DM+ – will be evaluated to determine its impact on mental health outcomes in people with pregestational diabetes (i.e., T1D or T2D prior to becoming pregnant) who are planning to become pregnant, are currently pregnant, or are in the 1-year postpartum period.
Type 1 Diabetes, Exercise and Mentoring (TEAM) Trial: Peer mentorship to increase physical activity and quality of life in adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Dr. Jonathan McGavock (University of Manitoba) and his team are focused on improving empowerment, resiliency, and autonomy in adolescents with T1D through physical activity. Dr. McGavock and his team will conduct a 12-week program of group-based exercise led by mentors with T1D that are living healthy, active lifestyles. This program will seek to impart upon the participants a sense of mastery, relatedness and connection with peers, and a sense of autonomy to improve their quality of life through healthy, active lifestyles.
Find Your CommuniT1D: Customized Virtual Peer Support for People Living with Type 1 Diabetes
Dr. Holly Witteman (Université Laval) and her team will create a sustainable peer support program that is led by people with T1D, to improve the mental health and quality of life of people with T1D across Canada. CommuniT1D will be a virtual community led by people with T1D and supported by the research team who bring expertise in mental health, diabetes care, psychology, and social support. This program is intended to continuously adapt to the needs of the community, while the research will focus on the feasibility and acceptability of the program as well as its impact on diabetes distress, quality of life, well-being, diabetes management, and use of resources.
JDRF-CIHR: Type 1 Diabetes Screening Research Consortium
CanScreenT1D led by Dr. Diane Wherrett (The Hospital for Sick Children; SickKids)
This $12 million grant will develop a single nationally coordinated research network to explore key research questions about the feasibility and acceptability of general population screening for early-stage T1D in Canada.
CanScreenT1D is made up of over 30 members including academic and clinician researchers, endocrinologists, people with lived experience of T1D, and knowledge users including a diabetes nurse, genetics counsellor, and a Ministry of Health representative. The acceptability of T1D screening in Indigenous communities will be explored, as led by Sasha Delorme of Diabetes Action Canada’s Indigenous Patient Circle and Indigenous people with lived experience of diabetes.
CanScreenT1D will study different screening approaches, as well as the effectiveness of education and follow-up of people with early-stage T1D. CanScreenT1D will explore how general population screening for early-stage T1D could be carried out in Canadian health care systems, and conduct pilot studies of approaches to inform future implementation across Canada.
People with T1D are at an increased risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and diabetes distress – a clinically validated term describing the powerlessness, stress, guilt, relentless worry, and denial that comes with living with diabetes and the burden of self-management. Mental health disorders in people with T1D are associated with a lower quality of life, worse glycemic control (i.e., higher HbA1c), more frequent/severe hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis episodes, and more hospital admissions. Conversely, resilience, empowerment, a good support network, and wellness are linked with high quality of life and health outcomes in people with T1D.
There is currently no standard pathway for identification, screening and referral of mental health concerns for people with T1D, and research in the area of mental health and T1D has traditionally been woefully under-funded. Although mental health interventions are known to improve quality of life and outcomes for some people with diabetes, few are regularly implemented in standard care. JDRF is funding projects that examine mental health needs in T1D, develop and test solutions to address needs, and work to integrate these solutions into clinical practice.
JDRF – Brain Canada: Addressing Mental Health in Type 1 Diabetes Team Grants
TADS: Teaching Adolescents with type 1 diabetes Self-compassion to reduce diabetes distress
Dr. Marie-Eve Robinson (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) and her team will assess the effectiveness of a mindful self-compassion program on improving the diabetes distress experienced by youth aged 12-17 years with T1D. The 8-week mindful self-compassion program will cover a variety of self-compassion practices, such as dealing with difficult emotions and developing a kind inner voice. The team anticipates that symptoms of anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and suicidal ideation will be lower in the mindful self-compassion group compared to the control group. This study has the potential to lower diabetes distress, the most common mental health problem experienced by youth with T1D, by increasing their self-compassion.
REACHOUT: a virtual care platform to deliver peer-led mental health support to rural and remote communities in BC
Dr. Tricia Tang (University of British Columbia) and her team at the University of British Columbia will use a virtual care platform to deliver peer-led mental health support to rural and remote communities in BC, through an intervention called REACHOUT, created with support from a previous JDRF grant.
REACHOUT is a Mobile App developed in collaboration with adults with T1D, clinical psychologists, biomedical engineers, behavioural scientists, and rural health experts. REACHOUT uses digital health technology to “drive” mental health support to people living with T1D in the greatest need. If successful, this innovative approach that seeks to reach the “hard-to-reach” can be adapted for kids, teens, adolescents, and young adults with T1D in BC and across Canada.
T1D3: Technology-enabled comprehensive care for young adults with T1D experiencing diabetes distress
Dr. Peter Selby (Center for Addiction and Mental Health) and his team are bringing experts in mental health and T1D care together with those who have lived experience of T1D to co-develop a solution for diabetes distress that is accessible and acceptable to people with T1D, their caregivers, and health care practitioners. The program is geared towards younger adults between the ages of 18 and 29, a group disproportionately vulnerable to diabetes distress.
The evaluation of the intervention will examine both the feasibility and acceptability of the program as well as its effectiveness in reducing diabetes distress. The impact on diabetes self-care, overall blood glucose levels, and episodes of low blood glucose will also be measured.
JDRF-CIHR: Diabetes, Psychosocial Health, Prevention and Self-Management
Aiming for something sweeter: Supporting youth with T1D during transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care
Dr. Sonia Butalia (University of Calgary) and her team are researching the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care in people with T1D. Dr. Butalia and her team have previously created a transition intervention that supports teens through texting, emails, phone calls, and social media groups via non-medical transition coordinators. Dr. Butalia will use the JDRF-CIHR grant to expand this program to 5 major sites in Alberta and evaluate the impact of the program on participants’ mental health, diabetes management and care transition, and cost effectiveness of the program.
Adaptation and pilot evaluation of a digital intervention targeting the psychosocial needs of individuals with pregestational diabetes
Dr. Deborah Da Costa (McGill University) and her team are experts in maternal mental health and have previously developed a successful digital intervention for pregnant and postpartum women and birthing persons. They will now use the JDRF-CIHR grant to collaborate with diabetes experts – primarily those living with T1D and T2D – to adapt their platform for women and birthing persons with pregestational diabetes. The new adaptation – HealthyMoms DM+ – will be evaluated to determine its impact on mental health outcomes in people with pregestational diabetes (i.e., T1D or T2D prior to becoming pregnant) who are planning to become pregnant, are currently pregnant, or are in the 1-year postpartum period.
Type 1 Diabetes, Exercise and Mentoring (TEAM) Trial: Peer mentorship to increase physical activity and quality of life in adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Dr. Jonathan McGavock (University of Manitoba) and his team are focused on improving empowerment, resiliency, and autonomy in adolescents with T1D through physical activity. Dr. McGavock and his team will conduct a 12-week program of group-based exercise led by mentors with T1D that are living healthy, active lifestyles. This program will seek to impart upon the participants a sense of mastery, relatedness and connection with peers, and a sense of autonomy to improve their quality of life through healthy, active lifestyles.
Find Your CommuniT1D: Customized Virtual Peer Support for People Living with Type 1 Diabetes
Dr. Holly Witteman (Université Laval) and her team will create a sustainable peer support program that is led by people with T1D, to improve the mental health and quality of life of people with T1D across Canada. CommuniT1D will be a virtual community led by people with T1D and supported by the research team who bring expertise in mental health, diabetes care, psychology, and social support. This program is intended to continuously adapt to the needs of the community, while the research will focus on the feasibility and acceptability of the program as well as its impact on diabetes distress, quality of life, well-being, diabetes management, and use of resources.
JDRF funds research in 20+ countries around the world through our Global Research Strategy to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. JDRF International’s global oversight means that no two projects are the same, and that there is a coordinated approach to the organization’s strategic goals to foster collaboration rather than competition. To drive our Global Research Strategy, we invest in the best and brightest thinkers dedicated to advancing T1D research.
Grants in the global portfolio are primarily grants held by Canadian researchers who have been awarded a prestigious JDRF grant via international competition. The following is a limited selection of Canadian grants in our Global portfolio. For a more comprehensive list please visit JDRF International’s grant center.
Screening
Screening for T1D is one pathway to prevention, but has many factors that need to be considered. JDRF recognizes the importance of universal screening for T1D since approximately 90% of people diagnosed with T1D have no family history. Now that the first disease-modifying therapy has been approved in the USA (Teplizumab, brand name: Tzield), screening may provide an opoprtunity to delay diagnosis. Furthermore, with early identification and close monitoring of individuals with early-stage, pre-symptomatic T1D, DKA rates at the time of T1D diagnosis are reduced from 25-62% to just 4-6% (CITATIONS).
Globally, JDRF-I is funding nearly 20 studies on T1D genetic risk scores and autoantibody screening. In Canada, Dr. Despoina Manousaki holds a JDRF-I grant to update the existing T1D genetic risk score algorithm to better reflect Canada’s diverse population. In this portfolio, JDRF-C also supports general population autoantibody screening as part of the Israel Screening Project. These grants will compliment and inform the new Canada-wide Screening Research Consortium funded in collaboration with CIHR.
Disease-Modifying Therapies
Disease-modifying therapies for type 1 diabetes aim to halt or slow the progression of the disease, rather than just manage symptoms. These treatments focus on preserving beta cells in the pancreas and/or suppressing the immune response against beta cells, thereby promoting their survival. Tzield (Teplizumab) is the first approved disease-modifying therapy for T1D, approved by the FDA in November 2022.
In our global portfolio, we support multiple Canadian researchers that are examining beta cell regeneration and immunotherapies for T1D. Dr. Jan Dutz, with the JDRF Centre of Excellence at UBC is conducting clinical trials of Ustekinumab, a therapy that is already approved for psoriasis and Crohn’s disease under the brand name Stelara. This study will determine if Ustekinumab can protect remaining beta cells at the time of T1D diagnosis to prevent or minimize the need for insulin supplementation. In collaboration, Dr. Megan Levings holds a JDRF-I grant to harmonize the biomarkers in the Canadian Ustekinumab trials (in adults) with a similar study being completed in the UK (in youth). Other projects include:
Dr. Robert Screaton is examining beta cell regeneration (regrowing functioning beta cells in a T1D pancreas).
Dr. Shirley Wu is developing a nanoparticle delivery product to deliver therapeutic agents directly to the pancreatic islets for the purpose of restoring beta cell function.
Cell Therapy
Canada boasts one of the foremost scientific programs for islet donor transplantation and stem cell therapy for T1D. In 1999 the Edmonton Protocol was developed at the University of Alberta to implant donor islet cells via the portal vein (liver) into patients with severe T1D. Dr. James Shapiro led the team that developed the Edmonton protocol, and by 2000 the first results were published on the first 7 patients, who were insulin-independent after an average of 12 months. As of 2022, over 250 patients have been treated using the Edmonton Protocol with 79% reaching insulin-independence for some duration following transplantation.
In 1961, stem cell transplantation was discovered by Canadians James Till and Ernest McCulloch, and since then we have been leading the charge on stem cell-derived islet therapy. Dr. Doug Melton (Harvard, JDRF-funded) and Dr. Tim Kieffer (UBC, JDRF-funded) simultaneously and separately developed protocols to derive beta cells from stem cells in 2014. Since then, Canada has been at the forefront of developing optimized stem cell-derived islet-like cells for transplantation. The following are some grants in our global portfolio that are supporting cell therapy:
Dr. James Shapiro (lead of the Edmonton Protocol team at the University of Alberta), has two grants in our global portfolio to continue improving islet transplantation by reducing or removing the requirement for immunosuppression.
Dr. Gregory Korbutt (member of the Edmonton Protocol team at the University of Alberta) is working on a drug delivery system that will help enhance the success of islet transplantation, as well as examining the use of porcine (pig) stem cells for islet transplantation.
Dr. Andras Nagy and Dr. Tim Kieffer are working to integrate Dr. Nagy’s two patented technologies – FailSafe™ and “immunocloaking” – to develop functional and safe insulin-producing islet cell transplants from human stem cells.
Dr. Michael Sefton is examining the skin as a site for islet cell transplantation by developing regenerative biomaterial for immune protection and vascularization to promote cell growth.
Dr. Robert Screaton is examining a class of genes that contribute to beta cell survival or death. By pinpointing which genes have an impact, cells can be gene-edited to improve the likelihood of survival.
Improving Lives
JDRF’s global research strategy has four components in the improving lives portfolio: drugs (insulins and adjunctive therapies), devices (artificial pancreas systems and components), complications (including kidney, eye disease, and heart), and mental health (including therapies for the psychosocial burden of T1D).
Canadian researchers conducting improving lives research in the global portfolio include:
Dr. Ahmad Haidar is conducting clinical trials to test whether a novel dual-hormone (insulin and pramlintide) artificial pancreas can eliminate carb counting and lead to easier management of T1D.
Dr. Mahla Poudineh is developing a new biosensor that will be capable of continuously measuring blood ketones and glucose simultaneously.
Dr. Tricia Tang has Canadian and Global grants contributing to her work on REACHOUT, a virtual, peer-support intervention to improve the mental health of people with T1D in remote and rural areas of British Columbia.
Donor funding helps JDRF to bring some of the brightest minds into type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF supports a diverse pipeline of T1D researchers by supporting investigators at pivotal points in their career. These ambitious researchers are the future of the field and help build capacity for the next generation of T1D research breakthroughs.
Funding for trainees is included in our Global Portfolio as it is a key pillar of our Global Research Strategy, and JDRF International runs the major trainee awards, such as the Career Development Awards and Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Career Development Awards
(JDRF-I)
These awards are given to promising researchers who are just beginning their full-time research careers. They are designed to attract qualified and promising scientists early in their faculty careers and provide opportunities to establish their independent research programs.
Dr. Andrew Pepper (2020-2025)
Dr. Pepper is a promising young Canadian scientist and an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Alberta. Along with his team, he is examining the underlying mechanisms that govern pancreatic beta cell survival and function, with the ultimate goal of developing islet replacement therapies that could become a universal treatment for a broader range of people living with T1D.
Dr. Pepper also held a postdoctoral fellowship award via the JDRF Canadian Clinical Trial Network (2015-2016).
Emerging Clinician Researcher Award (JDRF Canada)
These awards are designed to provide crucial support to investigators who plan to pursue a career in diabetes-related clinical investigation. Awards are made in the later stages of training and include the ability for recipients to transition to independent faculty or research appointments. Clinician researchers are key to T1D research but are few in number. These awards will help grow clinical-based research in the field of T1D.
Dr. Alanna Weisman (2023-2027)
Dr. Weisman is an endocrinologist and clinician-researcher at the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes in Toronto. Her research focusses on access to diabetes technologies for people with T1D. Dr. Weisman will use the ECRA funds to identify barriers to diabetes technology use in marginalized people with T1D and develop strategies to improve the equitable use of diabetes technologies across provinces.
Dr. Weisman also held a postdoctoral fellowship award via the JDRF Canadian Clinical Trial Network (2015-2017).
Postdoctoral Fellowships (JDRF-I)
These fellowships are designed to attract qualified, ambitious scientists to full-time research training and assist these promising individuals in transitioning from a fellowship to an independent (faculty-level) position.
Dr. Yi Chun Chen (2022-2025)
Dr. Chen is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia. She earned her PhD in cellular and integrative physiology from Indiana University School of Medicine in the United States. Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of insufficient islet prohormone processing in diabetes. Dr. Chen previously held a JDRF-I postdoctoral fellowship award.
Dr. Amanda Oakie (2022-2025)
Dr. Oakie is a postdoctoral fellow at the McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Hospital Network in Toronto. Dr. Oakie’s research examines methods to improve the yield obtained from beta-like cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Her work examines different strategies to expand the beta-like cells throughout differentiation.
CIRTN Partnership Awards (JDRF Canada)
JDRF Canada has partnered with the Canadian Islet Research and Training Network (CIRTN) to leverage funding to this network from the National Science and Engineering Research Council – Collaborative Research and Training Experience (NSERC-CREATE) program. Through this partnership, JDRF Canada is pleased to fund 6 PhD trainee scholarships and 1 postdoctoral fellowship to trainees working on pancreatic islet research.
To read more about the trainees, please visit our news announcement
Where are they now?
JDRF’s funding is designed to attract new talent to the field of T1D, retain world-class talent in T1D, and build capacity for the future of T1D research. Here is a look at past JDRF-funded trainees and where they are now:
|
Researcher |
Trainee Award |
Current Position |
|
Dr. Heather Denroche |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2017) & Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018-2022) |
Director of Preclinical Development, Integrated Nanotherapeutics, Inc. Developing new nanomedicines to treat immune diseases such as T1D. |
|
Dr. Adriana Migliorini |
Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018-2021) |
Research associate, McEwen Stem Cell Institute (University Health Network) Developing human pluripotent stem cells as a source of insulin-producing cells for people living with T1D. |
|
Dr. Dan Luciani |
Career Development Award (2013-2019) |
Associate professor, University of British Columbia researching stem cell-derived beta cells |
|
Dr. Anne Pesenacker |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2017), CCTN Postdoctoral Fellowship (2017-2018) |
Career Development Fellow, University College London, UK Researching autoimmune function in arthritis and T1D. |
|
Dr. Yasaman Aghazadeh |
CCTN Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016-2017) |
Assistant Professor, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) |
|
Dr. Ahmad Haidar |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2016) |
Associate professor, McGill University Researching diabetes technologies and insulin therapies |
|
Dr. Francis Lynn |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2007-2010) & Career Development Award (2011-2016) |
Associate professor, University of British Columbia; Investigator, BC Children’s Hospital; Research Lead, JDRF Centre of Excellence at UBC Stem cell therapies for T1D cures. |
|
Dr. Emmeline Heffernan |
CCTN Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2016) |
Pediatrician, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children |
|
Dr. Kate Verbeeten |
CCTN Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018-2019) |
Pediatric endocrinologist, private practice, Toronto |
|
Dr. Ashish Marwaha |
CCTN Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2015) |
Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, geneticist researching basic immunology and member of CanScreenT1D: JDRF-CIHR Screening Research Consortium |
|
Dr. Jennifer Bruin |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2011-2015) |
Associate Professor, Carleton University Environmental factors affecting T1D development |
|
Dr. Pat MacDonald |
Career Development Award (2009-2014) |
Professor, University of Alberta; Canada Research Chair in Islet Biology; Director of Alberta Diabetes Institute IsletCore; lead of the Canadian Islet Research and Training Network (CIRTN) researching insulin production from islet cells |
|
Dr. Reza B. Jalili |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2011-2014) |
Director of In Vivo Sciences, Aspect Biosystems Developing immunoprotective biomaterials. |
|
Dr. James Surapisitchat |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010-2012) |
Regional Medical Scientific Director of Oncology at Merck Pharmaceuticals |
|
Dr. Majid Mojibian |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010-2012) |
In Vivo Modelling Lead, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute |
|
Dr. Pedro Geraldes |
Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship (2009-2012) |
Professor, Université de Sherbrooke; Canada Research Chair in Diabetes and Vascular Complications |
|
Dr. Sylvie Lesage |
Career Development Award (2008-2011) |
Professor, Université de Montréal researching genetics of immune system cell populations |
|
Dr. James Johnson |
Career Development Award (2005-2010) |
Professor, University of British Columbia; Research Lead, JDRF Centre of Excellence at UBC researching islet biology |
|
Dr. Cristina Nostro |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008-2010) |
Senior Scientist at the McEwen Stem Cell Institute (University Health Network); Associate Professor, University of Toronto. Stem cell therapies for T1D cures. |
|
Dr. Lucy Marzban |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2005-2007) |
Associate professor, University of Manitoba researching beta cell death |
|
Dr. Tim Kieffer |
Career Development Award (2001-2006) |
Professor, University of British Columbia researching stem cell-derived beta cells |
|
Dr. Gregory Korbutt |
Career Development Award (2000-2005) |
Professor, University of Alberta; Scientific Director, Alberta Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility; and a member of the original Edmonton Protocol team. |
|
Dr. Janette Dufour |
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2001-2003) |
Professor, Texas Tech University Researching protective options for islet transplantation cells |