The American Diabetes Association’s 77th Scientific Sessions will be held June 9-13, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
Maureen Gannon, PhD
The annual meeting brings together more than 13,000 participants from more than 120 countries for five days of comprehensive, unparalleled education through symposia, oral abstract sessions, interest group discussions, meet-the-expert sessions, and special lectures and addresses. In addition, more than 32,500 original oral and poster research presentations during the meeting.
In the final weeks before the meeting, Maureen Gannon, PhD, Chair of the 77th Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee, described a few of the sessions on this year’s program that she’s particularly excited about.
“As the Chair, I see information from all the theme area subcommittees and get an appreciation for the sheer breadth of coverage that we are presenting in San Diego this year,” said Dr. Gannon, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Medicine and Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. “Based on input from the subcommittees, I’m happy to offer my take on the hottest topics this year, the most relevant sessions and the most critical information.”
Continue reading below for Dr. Gannon’s daily session highlights. For convenience, links to highlights from other members of the Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee who planned sessions in the meeting’s eight themed areas follow:
Acute and Chronic Complications
Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education, Exercise
Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics
Epidemiology/Genetics
Immunology/Transplantation
Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism
Integrated Physiology/Obesity
Insulin Biology/Insulin Secretion
There’s also an overview article of the clinical trial results that will be reported at the 77th Scientific Sessions.
View the clinical trial overview article.
Friday, June 9
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
The Future Face of Diabetes Care—Beta Cell Replacement vs. Technology
“This is a discussion on where therapies for type 1 diabetes are going — beta cell replacement versus improved technology, cell-based therapy versus the artificial pancreas. This will be an important look into the future regardless of your background.”
12:45 p.m.–1:45 p.m.
Human Islet Research Network—NIH-Funded Interactive Research Network
“Representatives from the HIRN will give a public update on the goals of the consortium, the different projects and subgroups, who has been funded, how they are interacting, how the group is organized, and what has been accomplished so far. It’s novel to discuss a project of this size in such detail in an open forum.”
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
The Role of the Intestinal Immune System in Metabolic Disease
“The intestinal microbiome has been a hot topic. Now we’re hearing about the rational design of ways to use the intestinal immune system, the resident macrophages, the different microbiota, probiotics, to manipulate that environment to treat metabolic disease.”
4:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m.
Can ‘Omic’ and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) Reveal Therapeutic Links Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
“We traditionally think of type 1 and type 2 diabetes as having very different etiologies. This symposium will focus on omics, metabolomics, proteomics, genomics, and so on to explore areas such as beta cell failure and inflammation that are similar between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.”
Saturday, June 10
8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Thirty-Year Anniversary of the Food Care Interest Group—The Diabetic Foot, Then and Now
“The leaders in foot care will focus on how treatments for the diabetic foot have evolved over the past 30 years and where the field is headed. It’s a retrospective and prospective discussion that will help us all to appreciate how care is evolving through discovery.”
1:45 p.m.–3:45 p.m.
The Good and the Bad of Glucagon Physiology and Therapeutics
“One of the hottest areas in research and therapeutics has been the role of glucagon in hyperglycemia, not just the lack of insulin but inappropriate regulation of glucagon secretion. This will start with the physiology of glucagon and build to the latest in targeting anti-glucagon therapies.”
1:45 p.m.–3:45 p.m.
ADA Pathway to Stop Diabetes Symposium
“This symposium will feature the recent recipients of ADA’s Pathway to Stop Diabetes award grants designed to help early-stage investigators launch their careers in diabetes. Each awardee will provide an update on their progress, a combination [of presentations] that will tell all of us where diabetes research is headed.”
Sunday, June 11
8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Joint ADA/JDRF Symposium—Progress Towards an Artificial Pancreas
“Expect an update on the status of closed loop systems, both from a technology standpoint as well as the practical impact of having insulin and glucagon in the system. The algorithms and the technology are improving at dramatic rates.”
2:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
Physiology of Nervous System Detection of Hypoglycemia
“Hypoglycemia is an area many of us are less familiar with. This symposium has a great lineup that will look at how the brain senses and responds to hypoglycemia. These counter-regulatory responses are absolutely vital to glucose homeostasis.”
2:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
Beta Cell Maturation
“The differentiation protocols researchers are currently using to generate beta cells in vitro are producing immature beta cells that don’t respond well to glucose. Trying to figure out how beta cells normally mature in vivo and what we are missing in our ex vivo differentiation protocols is one of the hottest areas in diabetes research.”
Monday, June 12
8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Personalized Nutrition—Nutrigenetics, Nutrigenomics—Relevance to Diabetes
“Are there gene and genetic markers that can determine how your particular body handles dietary fats, carbohydrates and other nutritional components, and should you consult a specialist to possibly adjust your diet? This is an area all of us will be interested in.”
2:15 p.m.– 4:15 p.m.
Preserving Beta Cell Function
“This is almost a follow-on of the Sunday symposium Beta Cell Maturation. Look for more links with loss of beta cell maturation and de-differentiation.”
4:30 p.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Type 1 Diabetes Immune Intervention Trials
“We tend to focus on the beta cell, but for type 1 diabetes, the immune system is the main target. Oral insulin and other immune modulators may have real potential.”
Tuesday, June 13
9:45 a.m.– 11:45 a.m.
ADA Presidents Oral Session
“These eight oral presentations are the best abstracts presented in the eight theme areas, all presented by students, postdocs, and early-career faculty. This is the one session to give you the deepest appreciation for the depth and the breadth of research being done under the leadership of the ADA.”
