When you live with diabetes, your treatment plan may need the occasional change. However, in some cases that doesn’t happen. That might be because of an issue known as “clinical or therapeutic inertia”. Dr. Peter Senior, Director of the Alberta Diabetes Institute, joins host Krista Lamb to discuss what this is and why it matters.

In Canada, leading stem cell scientists are working hard to find ways to use these cells to improve the health of people living with type 1 diabetes.

On this episode, host Krista Lamb speaks with Dr. Francis Lynn from the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Lynn is leading research projects using stem-cell-derived beta cells, as well as exploring ways to use CRISPR technology in this work.

He is also the winner of the 2021 Early Career Researcher Partnership Award from Diabetes Canada.

Did you know that people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than those without diabetes? This fact has inspired researchers like Dr. Gillian Hawker to look at ways to better support those managing both of these chronic conditions.

Dr. Hawker is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, where she is the Sir John & Lady Eaton Professor & Chair of the Department of Medicine. She is also a Clinician-Scientist at the Women’s College Research Institute.

A number of scientists around the world are researching brown adipose tissue to determine the role this brown fat plays in type 2 diabetes.

On this episode, host Krista Lamb speaks with Dr. Andre Carpentier, who is a clinician scientist at Sherbrook University and the Co-Scientific Lead at Diabetes Action Canada.

Dr. Carpentier is giving a sneak peek of his talk from the Diabetes Canada/CSEM Professional Conference and Annual General Meetings, which are taking place in Calgary, Alberta from November 9 – 12, 2022 in Calgary, Alberta. Interested in learning more or registering to attend in-person or virtually? Visit dcanconference.ca for more information.

Why do some people with type 1 diabetes get complications, while others do not? The Canadian Study of Longevity in Diabetes studied Canadians who had lived with diabetes for more than 50 years to try and learn the answer to that question. Beth Mitchell, who participated in the study, talks about her life and why she wanted to share her experience with researchers.

Dr. Tim Kieffer from UBC proved that a stem cell solution could cure type 1 diabetes in the lab. Now his discovery is being tested in humans. Moving from the lab to human clinical trials is a huge step and Dr. Kieffer discusses his groundbreaking work and how much more still needs to be done to see if this is a viable treatment or cure.

From smart phones to fitness trackers, digital health tools are everywhere and many people with diabetes are incorporating them in their self-management. Dr. Shivani Goyal is a researcher at eHealth Innovation in Toronto who specializes in helping make digital solutions accessible and intuitive. In this episode, she explains her work and how these new technologies are changing the way we treat and manage diabetes.

Experts agree that it will take more than just lifestyle changes to stem the tide of type 2 diabetes - it's much more complex than that. In this episode, Dr. Laura Rosella from the University of Toronto discusses the role that population health plays in dealing with chronic illness.

Can gestational diabetes help researchers discover the key to why some people develop type 2 diabetes? Can type 2 diabetes be reversed? These are just two of the questions Dr. Ravi Retnakaran, an endocrinologist and scientist at Mount Sinai’s Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes and a professor at the University of Toronto, is trying to answer.

How are obesity and type 2 diabetes linked? Can bariatric surgery roll back type 2 diabetes? Dr. Sean Wharton is an expert in the area of obesity and weight loss and he discusses some of these topics and more in this interview.

Dr. Dessi Zaharieva lives with type 1 diabetes, which has fueled her doctorate studies in diabetes and exercise. She is also a successful MMA fighter. Find out what drives "The Bulgarian Bulldozer" to excel in so many areas in this interview from the Type 1 Conference in Toronto.

Pump on or pump off? What happens if your blood sugar levels drop? And what if, well, things don't work the way they should? Dr. Alice Cheng answers all your questions about diabetes and sex because, as Salt 'n' Pepa said, "Sex is natural, sex is good."

Dr. Hertzel Gerstein has made his mark on diabetes research through his extensive work in groundbreaking clinical trials and in the area of dysglycemia. He is also an advocate for de-stigmatizing diabetes and wrote a song about this, as well as developing a music video with his team in Hamilton, ON. You can watch the video here: https://fhs.mcmaster.ca/main/news/news_2016/tackling_diabetes_with_a_song.html

Dr. James Shapiro was named Diabetes Canada's 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner because of his leading role in "The Edmonton Protocol", which proved that islet transplants could be done successfully. He continues to lead work on islet transplantation at the Alberta Diabetes Institute and, in this interview, he shares information about his extraordinary career.

Dr. Michael Riddell from York University and LMC Diabetes returns to share even more information about his work supporting diabetes and exercise. Learn about his latest studies and how his team are working with pump and CGM technologies for active people with type 1 diabetes. Interested in Dr. Riddell's book? Learn more at http://www.gettingpumped.org/.

At the recent Diabetes Canada Type 1 Conference, Dr. Peter Senior from the Alberta Diabetes Institute gave a plenary address looking at the latest updates in diabetes research. From the artificial pancreas to islet transplants and beyond - should we be using the c-word (cure) just yet?

Renira Narrandes is a South African-Canadian storyteller, poet, and speaker who lives with type 1 diabetes. Her stories are generally humorous—though occasionally, she reaches in and pulls out something heavy from deep within. Despite being detail-oriented and methodical, Renira will admit she doesn’t always know where her path is going. Her journey so far has included three master’s degrees (journalism, science, public health), two life-changing events, and one near-death experience. You can find Renira’s spoken word poem about hypoglycemia on YouTube and check out her poetry and photography on Instagram @words_by_renira.

Kimberley Hanson is the Executive Director of Federal Affairs for Diabetes Canada, as well as a person living with type 1 diabetes. From the Disability Tax Credit to Diabetes 360, she is working to create positive change for people living with diabetes. Visit this link to learn more about Diabetes 360 and how you can help: https://goo.gl/V26DhM

Dr. James Johnson from the University of British Columbia is studying beta cells to determine ways these cells play a role in obesity, diabetes risk and much more. His work is currently funded by Diabetes Canada.

Dr. Jenny Bruin from Carlton University is studying beta cell regeneration to learn if diabetes risk is impacted by exposure to environmental toxins and other elements.

Dr. Cristina Nostro from The McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine explains her work to grow stem-cell-derived islets in the lab.

Dr. Jan Hux, President and CEO of Diabetes Canada, discusses the latest news from the organization, including updates on the Diabetes 360 strategy and the focus on population impact.

Thank you for listening to our first season of the Diabetes Canada Podcast and for helping make it a huge success. We will return in September with more great interviews so stay tuned to learn more about what's coming next season.

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Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe is an endocrinologist at Toronto's Women's College Hospital who specializes in women and diabetes. Her new research looks at how women who develop gestational diabetes can avoid going on to develop type 2 diabetes. In this episode, she discusses this project,as well as risk factors that are unique to women and ways to reduce those risks.

In the new book, Diagnosing the Legacy: The Discovery, Research and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in Indigenous Youth, author Larry Krotz explores the history and legacy of diabetes in remote Manitoba communities. From the surprising diagnosis of Indigenous children with this disease in the 1980s to how remote communities and health care teams are partnering to support each other today, the book is a fascinating look at a complex issue. You can purchase a copy of Diagnosing the Legacy from the University of Manitoba Press: https://uofmpress.ca/books/detail/diagnosing-the-legacy

Dr. Denice Feig is an expert on diabetes and pregnancy. In this episode she discusses what women living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes need to consider during pregnancy, as well as highlighting the latest research on this topic from the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines. For more information on diabetes and pregnancy visit http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/

Diabetes Canada's Clinical Practice Guidelines are released every five years and they’re very important to people working in health care, but also to people living with diabetes. Toronto's Dr. Perkins shares his experience as someone who has worked extensively on the guidelines and as an endocrinologist, a diabetes researcher and a person living with type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Noah Ivers is a family doctor and a researcher at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. He is also a co-chair of the committee that is working to share information about Diabetes Canada's 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines with health-care providers and the public.