Better Health, Brighter Future
Alexandria, VA, June 13, 2003 - The American Diabetes Association Research Foundation today announced the inception of the American Diabetes Association-Takeda Pharmaceuticals Mentor-Based Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The Minority Fellowship program is solely supported by a $315,000 grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America. The program will train some of the most promising minority diabetes researchers working under the tutelage of established diabetes research investigators who will serve as their mentors.
The grant will support the research efforts of three minority Ph.D. candidates per year for three years. Recipients will pursue basic or clinical research projects aimed at preventing, treating and curing diabetes. “With the high prevalence of diabetes in minority populations and one million new cases of diabetes being diagnosed every year, Takeda’s contribution will provide much needed funding for minority researchers around the country,” said Martha M. Funnell, MS, RN, CDE, President, Health Care & Education, American Diabetes Association.
Fellowship candidates submit applications demonstrating scientific abilities and research potential that meet the strict criteria of the Association’s peer review process. 2003 recipients include:
Maria Sara Remedi, Ph.D., Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Remedi’s research project focuses on understanding what happens when pancreatic cells sense sugar in the bloodstream and subsequently release insulin.
By comprehending the processes involved in insulin secretion, researchers will be better able to develop new drugs for diabetes treatment or design treatments to repair or replace defective cells.
Maria Andrea Carranza, Ph.D. candidate, National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC
Dr. Carranza’s studies are concentrated in three areas: understanding the mechanisms that allow insulin to activate glucose uptake; research on the effects of insulin and nitric oxide on blood vessels which may uncover a relationship between insulin resistance and hypertension; and the development of a simple and accurate mathematical formula for calculating insulin sensitivity in patients with diabetes.
Renata Belfort Aguiar, M.D., University of Texas Health Center, San Antonio, Texas
Dr. Aguiar is investigating the theory that type 2 diabetes may be more a disease of fat metabolism than of glucose metabolism. Research is being conducted treating insulin-resistant patients with a triglyceride-lowering drug to determine whether reducing the amount of this “blood fat” will improve glucose metabolism.
Detailed information on each recipient’s research is available upon request. Scholars will be honored at the Research Appreciation Luncheon for Scientific Leadership at 12 noon on Sunday, June 15, 2003, at the ADA’s 63rd Scientific Sessions and Community Assembly in New Orleans, LA.
About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities. The Association’s commitment to research is reflected through its scientific meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its complications. For more information, please visit www.diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
About Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America
Based in Lincolnshire, Ill., Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd. in Osaka, Japan and the marketer of ACTOS, an oral therapy for type 2 diabetes. Since the company’s inception five years ago, the ADA has annually recognized the company as one of its leading supporters through inclusion in the Banting Circle of donors.
Contacts:
Mark Overbay
American Diabetes Association
703-549-1500 ext. 2290
[email protected]
Matt Kuhn
Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America
847-383-3454
[email protected]
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