Jessica Weaver, PhD
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Arizona State University
Featured in the Session: Immune Modulatory Strategies for Next-Generation Cell Therapies
When
Sunday, June 7
at 1:30 p.m.
Where
343 (Level 3)
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
What is your presentation about?
Chronic systemic immunosuppression is the primary challenge preventing the translation of cell therapies to treat type 1 diabetes, as the risks outweigh the benefit for most patients. We use biomaterials and immune engineering approaches to induce immune tolerance toward allogeneic insulin secreting cell therapies, with the goal of eliminating the need for immune suppression.
How do you hope your presentation will impact diabetes research or care?
We look forward to sharing our progress toward eliminating the need for immune suppression in cell therapies to treat type 1 diabetes. We hope to network with research professionals working on the same problem, to share ideas and address common challenges in this work.
How did you become involved with this area of diabetes research or care?
I have worked in the area of cell therapies to treat type 1 diabetes since my first undergraduate research opportunity over 15 years ago at the Diabetes Research Institute in Miami. I now have many friends and family impacted by this disease, which strengthens my motivation to find a functional cure for this disease for all type one patients.