For the second consecutive year in Montreal, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF) Diabetes Research Symposium will be opening its doors at Fairmont Queen Elizabeth this Sunday, March 21st, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free and open to all, this event will focus on type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, and aims to inform the general public about JDRF's groundbreaking research progress.
JDRF's Chief Research Advisor, Dr. Terry Delovitch, will give an overview of JDRF-funded research across Canada, with an emphasis on local JDRF-funded researchers, such as the RFX6 gene discovery made by MUHC's Dr. Constantin Polychronakos, the recent breakthrough made by Dr. Sylvie Lesage of Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, which could help prevent type 1 diabetes entirely and the new artificial pancreas project. Dr. Jean-Louis Brazier will brief the audience on diabetes management and natural health products, while Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo will give an account of the integration of genetics with markers of immune response.
"With the advent of several recent advances in technology and significantly increased funding, JDRF is well-positioned to continue funding world class research in Canada and take even greater strides towards building a bridge to the cure for type 1 diabetes" says Dr. Terry Delovitch, Full Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario).