May 2023

The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center held its Annual Diabetes Research Day on Monday, April 17th. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and sharing of knowledge, this event brought together about 65 researchers, clinicians, and students to advance the understanding of diabetes and improve patient outcomes. Diabetes Research Day featured a lineup of activities including short talks, a keynote address, T32 presentations and a poster session.

Diabetes Research Day kicked off with several short talks from trainees and faculty members, divided into two different sessions.

We were fortunate to have Sam Stephens, PhD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, deliver a keynote speech titled “Nutrient remodeling of pancreatic islet beta-cell secretory capacity”. Dr. Stephens discussed the new discoveries emanating from his laboratory regarding the processes that regulate the section of insulin by the pancreas and how exposure to calorie rich diet alters these processes.

Another highlight of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Day was a poster session, where 16 researchers had the opportunity to present their work in a visually engaging format. This session featured a diverse range of posters, showcasing the latest research in diabetes prevention, treatment, and management. Attendees had the chance to browse through the posters, ask questions, and engage in discussions with the presenters. The poster session was an excellent opportunity for researchers to share their findings and receive feedback from their peers. Overall, the poster session was a resounding success, fostering innovation among diabetes researchers. At the end of the day, Co-Directors Andrew Norris and Kamal Rahmouni presented awards to the three best posters. The top three poster awards [Two people standing next to each other in an office Description automatically generated] went to Qiuxia Li, Ryan Allen and Yuxi Li.