New to the Scientific Sessions lineup, the Innovation Challenge invites six contestants to pitch their concepts for improving the lives of people living with diabetes before a panel of potential funders. Three finalists will earn a private audience with the judges, explained ADA Chief Scientific and Medical Officer Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD.

A panel including Ellen Leschek, MD, will discuss teplizumab clinical trial results and the role of the CD3-directed monoclonal antibody in delaying the progression from stage 2 type 1 diabetes to stage 3. Joining Dr. Lesheck will be researchers, clinicians, and a patient with type 1 diabetes.

Michael J. Haller, MD, and Antionette Moran, MD, will present data and arguments in support of technology and immunomodulation, respectively, in treating patients with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Haller said most experts likely agree there will be a role for both going forward and each should be discussed and offered to patients.

Genome-wide association studies and polygenic risk scores are important tools in the field of genetics and have shown to also impact diabetes research. Experts including Inês Barroso, PhD, will present information on how GWAS and PRS have helped in the prevention, early diagnosis, and management of type 2 diabetes.

CGM technology has the potential for use as a preventative tool in diabetes and obesity, and researchers continue to learn more about the effects of CGM use in people living with diabetes who are treated with insulin and those who are not. Three experts, including Ronnie Aronson, MD, will discuss emerging evidence.

For many years, rural residents in the United States were healthier as a population than their urban counterparts. In the 1980s, that began to change. Four researchers, including Vasan Ramachandran, MD, DM, FACC, FAHA, will discuss this trend in the context of diabetes diagnosis and care.

Taking an innovative idea for diabetes care from the bench to the bedside requires funding. Presenters including Kathryn Zavala, PhD, COO and BioTools Innovator Managing Director, MedTech Innovator, will discuss what investors look for in a pitch.

Some of the diabetes management tools with the greatest efficacy are those that patients can use by themselves. Experts including Sarah S. Jaser, PhD, will discuss the impact tracking blood glucose levels, sleep quality, diet choices, and other behaviors can have in disease management while paying tribute to behavioral diabetes pioneer Mark Peyrot, PhD.

Proper nutrition can help regulate diabetes. Christopher Gardner, PhD, will discuss the advantages of consuming a plant-based, whole-food diet, along with the health and global benefits of switching from animal protein to plant-based protein. Other presenters will discuss portion size and calorie density, and how processed foods impact energy balance.