Blogger Series: Stephen Shaul of HappyMedium.net in conversation with Rick Phillips

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Stephen has been living with Type 1 diabetes since 1991. Since April 2012, he has been writer of the diabetes blog HappyMedium.net, and since then, has covered a number of diabetes-related subjects. In November 2013 Stephen began awarding medals to people living with diabetes who achieve their athletic goals. In November 2014, he spoke before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during a public workshop on interoperability between diabetes devices. Most recently, he started the diabetes podcast Diabetes By The Numbers, speaking with diabetes newsmakers of the day. He is a part time moderator of the popular weekly DSMA Twitter chats, and encourages others by staying true to the phrase “I support you… no conditions”.

Stephen lives in Baltimore with his wife Maureen, their dog Boomer, and Max the Cat.

Join Stephen Shaul in conversation with fellow blogger (www.RADiabetes.com) and PWD, Rick Phillips, for this next installment in our blogger series!

Episode 8: Searching For The Cure

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This week Corinna and Mike talk about some of the research that Dr. Michael Haller is doing through TrialNet. Haller’s work has focused on genetics, environment, prevention and cure. They also discuss why “prevention” is sometimes seen as a dirty word and analyze Haller’s optimistic and hopeful yet also realistic look at the race toward a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Some links discussed in this episode:

Everybody Talks Diabetes Podcast Mike Lawson Corinna Cornejo

Advances in glucagon with Locemia Solutions

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Locemia Solutions is a Canadian-based pharmaceutical development company, which sole focus is on innovating the rescue treatment of severe hypoglycemia. The team at Locemia is working on providing people with diabetes and those that touch their lives, with a simple, needle-free glucagon rescue product for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia, which would be easy to teach, easy to carry and easy to use – helping to expand the number of people who feel confident in dealing with the unpredictability of hypoglycemia, and providing peace of mind for people who use insulin every day. Locemia’s passion and promise – driven by its members personal involvement and investment in the diabetes community – is to fill an unmet need through innovation, awareness and empowerment—rooted in needle-free simplicity,  for everyone to be able to help anyone—quickly and easily— deal with severe low blood sugar.

Episode 7: Physical Activity & Diabetes

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This week we tackle an old topic that we can always say more about: Physical Activity and Diabetes. Corinna and Mike attempt to talk about more than just a “go exercise” command because they both know they need to add physical activity to their lives. But what’s stopping them?

We play an interview we did through a collaboration with American Diabetes Association and the National Diabetes Program. Dr. Ronny A. Bell, PhD, Dr. Magon M. Saunders, PhD and Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz de Valdez, MD talk about physical activity and the mental benefits people with diabetes receive.

Everybody Talks Diabetes Podcast Mike Lawson Corinna Cornejo

Live interview with Dr. Michael Haller, TrialNet

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TrialNet is an international clinical trials network of the world’s leading researchers who are exploring ways to prevent, delay and reverse progression of type 1 diabetes. The network consists of leading academic institutions, physicians, and research teams at the forefront of type 1 diabetes research.

TrialNet clinical studies explore new treatments toward delaying or preventing onset of type 1 diabetes in high risk individuals and protecting beta cells and remaining insulin production in those recently diagnosed. TrialNet also offers a unique screening test for relatives of people with type 1 diabetes to identify those at high risk for developing the disease.

TrialNet is jointly funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and National Center for Research Resources at National Institutes of Health. It is also supported by the American Diabetes Association and JDRF.

Dr. Michael Haller

Dr. Michael Haller is a pediatric endocrinologist with a passion for patient care, teaching, and research. Dr. Haller’s research focuses on predicting, preventing, and reversing type 1 diabetes through a team approach that emphasizes translating findings from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside in a timely manner. Dr. Haller is an active investigator in the NIH funded Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet and The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in Youth (TEDDY) study.

Dr. Haller currently serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) for the TrialNet ATG/GCSF study funded collaboratively by the NIH, the Helmsley Trust, and Sanofi. He also serves as a co-investigator for all other TrialNet studies at the University of Florida, and as the Chair of the Clinical Implementation Committee for the international TEDDY study.

Dr. Haller has also served as the PI of studies aimed at using autologous umbilical cord blood stem cells as a potential therapy for type 1 diabetes. Dr. Haller, in collaboration with Dr. Brusko continues to explore the potential for developing cord blood based therapies. Dr. Brusko is perfecting techniques that allow for the expansion of cord blood cells that help to regulate the immune system and Dr. Haller hopes to use these cells in future clinical trials.

In 2008, Dr. Haller, and his colleagues Dr. Desmond Schatz and Dr. Mark Atkinson received the JDRF’s highest award, the Mary Tyler Moore and S.Robert Levine Excellence in Clinical Research Award, for their team approach to developing therapies for type 1 diabetes. In 2009, Dr. Haller and his colleagues received the ADA Cure Award and in 2010 Dr. Haller received the ISPAD Young Investigator Award.

Live interview with D-blogger Cherise Shockley, hosted by TuDiabetes member Rick Phillips

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Cherise was diagnosed with LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adult) at the age of 23. When she was diagnosed, she was a newlywed and her husband was stationed in Iraq. She was alone and did not know anyone with Type 1 or LADA. She turned to the internet in search for answers and understanding but there wasn’t enough information for people that are living with LADA. A few years after her diagnosis, Cherise became insulin dependent and that’s when she found TuDiabetes.org; she realized that wasn’t alone. She found her voice and the voices of others living with all types of diabetes. She began blogging about diabetes in hopes to inspire and help people with diabetes. She started DSMA to bring the community together for a once a week chat about all things diabetes, support, awareness and education as a way to give back to the diabetes community and show how powerful peer support and social media can be for people with diabetes, their family members and other advocates. The twitter chat grew, and the need to reach out to others grew heavy on the organization. In November 2010, DSMA Live: Continuing the Conversation was created, and recently, added DSMA en Vivo and DSMA Live: Parents Talk. November 14, 2010, The Blue Fridays initiative was created to encourage people to wear blue every Friday and on World Diabetes Day to raise awareness for diabetes. Cherise is the founder and CEO of Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

Join TuDiabetes member and blogger at RADiabetes, Rick Phillips LIVE in conversation with Cherise!

Episode 6: Online Peer Support

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Corinna and Mike talk this week about online peer support for people with diabetes including the emerging DOC article from Baylor University, Elena Sainz’s dissertation based on members of EsTuDiabetes.org and we play an interview we did with Michelle Litchman about her dissertation on the topic.

This week we also talk about a document that can help people get started online. Download it here: http://diabeteshandsfoundation.org/doccolor/

Everybody Talks Diabetes Podcast Mike Lawson Corinna Cornejo

#MasterLab 2015 – Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu

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The closing keynote for #MasterLab 2015 was done by Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu. He is the former Vice President for Global Professional Education and Strategic Relations for Johnson & Johnson’s Diabetes Solutions Companies and former Worldwide Chairman of the J&J Diabetes Institutes, a global initiative to provide awareness and training in state-of-the-art science, information, and technology relevant to diabetes prevention, awareness, diagnosis, and treatment. Since its inception, JJDI has provided training and education to over 10,000 health care professionals world-wide to help improve the care and the health of people with diabetes. Dr. Moritsugu served as a career officer in the United States Public Health Service for 37 years, served as Deputy Surgeon General from 1998 to 2007, and twice held the office of our nation’s doctor, serving in 2002 and 2006 as acting Surgeon General of the United States. He’s a devoted husband and father, a person with diabetes, and an active participant in the nonprofit space, serving on the Board of Diabetes Hands Foundation and as chair of the Board of Children With Diabetes.

#MasterLab is a day of advocacy held in conjunction with CWD’s Friend For Life conference in Orlando, Florida every summer. If you’re interested in joining us next summer visit: http://www.diabetesadvocates.org/MasterLab

#MasterLab 2015 – Kim Vlasnik

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Kim Vlasnik is a diabetes rockstar. She is adored in the patient community for her humor, her strength, and her genuine voice. She is known for her widely-read blog Texting My Pancreas, for her clever cartoon artwork, and, since 2011, for the You Can Do This Project – a movement born from an idea that people with diabetes could benefit from the encouragement of our peers. In 2012 and 2014, Kim was selected as an ePatient Scholar at Stanford’s Medicine X Conference. Her powerful 2014 ePatient ignite! Talk at MedX has garnered over 6,000 views on YouTube and is one of the most candid and moving talks on diabetes available on video.

#MasterLab is a day of advocacy held in conjunction with CWD’s Friend For Life conference in Orlando, Florida every summer. If you’re interested in joining us next summer visit: http://www.diabetesadvocates.org/MasterLab

#MasterLab 2015 – Melissa Schooley

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Melissa Schooley serves as one of Medtronic’s senior lobbyists, leading their legislative and corporate strategy. Managing their federal diabetes advocacy, she works closely with the Medtronic diabetes business unit to ensure customers have access to their latest therapy innovations, and collaborates with diabetes stakeholders and advocates on legislative and administrative solutions. Currently, she’s engaged in efforts to expand access to continuous glucose monitoring therapy. Melissa has over 15 years of lobbying experience, ranging from a Fortune 500 government affairs office supporting commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid markets, to serving in the US Senate as a Law Clerk on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight.

#MasterLab is a day of advocacy held in conjunction with CWD’s Friend For Life conference in Orlando, Florida every summer. If you’re interested in joining us next summer visit: http://www.diabetesadvocates.org/MasterLab

#MasterLab 2015 – Andrew Zebrak

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As Executive Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy at Boehringer Ingelheim, Andrew Zebrak’s job is to analyze complex federal and state legislative and regulatory policy and translate it into actionable strategy for the business he serves. Issues of access, reimbursement, coverage – the issues that so many of our grassroots advocates have but a cursory understanding of – these are the topics of his trade at the highest intersections of government and industry. Prior to joining BI almost ten years ago, Andrew consulted with leading pharma and Fortune 500 companies on federal healthcare legislation, regulations, and government programs. In this talk, he lends us his expert analysis as we consider our opportunities to act more locally.

#MasterLab is a day of advocacy held in conjunction with CWD’s Friend For Life conference in Orlando, Florida every summer. If you’re interested in joining us next summer visit: http://www.diabetesadvocates.org/MasterLab