Diabetes Pro Quarterly - Summer 2017 - 17

77TH SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS NEWS
Award Recipients continued from page 16
Dr. Mazze has created and implemented innovative translational
approaches to diabetes care focused on clinical decision-making and utilization of technology. Notably, he is the principal
author of the Staged Diabetes Management (SDM) program,
an evidence-based approach to care with the goal of improving
outcomes for individuals with diabetes. SDM has been translated
into Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, and Japanese,
customized for multiple cultures, and implemented in more than
400 sites in the United States and worldwide.
Characterized by a tireless drive, Dr. Mazze has brought together
leaders from various backgrounds, moving them toward the goal
of enhancing diabetes care. These efforts have resulted in measurable improvements in diabetes-related outcomes at SDM sites
around the world. As a consultant, Dr. Mazze continues his international work focusing on advanced glucose sensing technologies
and their implementation in clinical decision-making.
The 2017 Kelly West Award for Outstanding Achievement
in Epidemiology recognized Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD, the
Conrad Riley Endowed Professor at the Colorado School of
Public Health in Aurora. The award honors an individual who

has made significant contributions to the field of diabetes epidemiology.
Dr. Dabelea's body of work is described in more than 200 publications. Among her most noteworthy findings, she has described
increases in the prevalence and incidence of both type 1 and type
2 diabetes among U.S. youth. She continues efforts to characterize the multiple complications of diabetes in a cohort of youth,
including multiple minorities. Dr. Dabelea's research supports
the pursuit of long-term life course approaches to reducing the
burden of diabetes. For example, she has found that breastfeeding ameliorates increased adiposity of offspring born to mothers
with gestational diabetes, offering a transgenerational prevention
strategy.
Dr. Dabelea is a principal investigator on nine current federally
funded grants and co-chairs the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth
study. Beyond her scientific findings, she is committed to expanding the pipeline of well-trained scientists in diabetes epidemiology
through mentorship. At Scientific Sessions, she delivered her
award lecture titled, "Diabetes in Youth: Looking Backwards to
Inform the Future."

Professional Interest Group Award Recipients
The Behavioral Medicine and Psychology Interest Group selected
Michael A. Harris, PhD, to receive the Richard R. Rubin
Award. Dr. Harris is professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health
and Science University in Portland. Dr. Harris's career was recognized for significant contributions that have focused on improving the lives of youth with type 1 diabetes. Notably, Dr. Harris
was the primary developer of the Diabetes Self-Management
Program, now considered the gold standard for assessing regimen adherence in youth with type 1 diabetes. He was instrumental in the development and dissemination of the Behavioral
Family Systems Therapy-Diabetes, an empirically validated
behavioral intervention for improving adherence and glycemic
control. He also conducted the first research to demonstrate the
effectiveness of teleconferencing technology to deliver behavioral
interventions to individuals with diabetes and their families. Dr.
Harris also developed and validated the nationally recognized
Novel Interventions in Children's Healthcare to improve care and
reduce the unnecessary hospitalization of children and adolescents with chronic health conditions such as diabetes.
Beyond his research efforts, Dr. Harris's teaching, mentoring, and
collaborations exemplify his dedicated service to the field. His
award lecture was titled "Your Exclusion, My Inclusion: Treating
the Most Challenging in Diabetes."
Mark E. Cooper MBBS, PhD, the inaugural head of the
Department of Diabetes in the Central Clinical School at
Monash University and previous chief scientific officer at
Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia, was the recipient of the Edwin Bierman Award. This
award, conferred by the Complications Interest Group, honors
a leading scientist in the field of diabetes complications. Dr.

Cooper is an internationally renowned physician scientist recognized for seminal basic, preclinical, and clinical contributions to
our understanding and treatment of diabetes-related kidney and
macrovascular complications.
With more than 500 publications cited more than 40,000 times,
Dr. Cooper's pioneering research has used state-of-the-art molecular approaches to identify mechanisms underlying diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis, uncover an epigenetic basis for
metabolic memory, and determine a role of oxidative stress in
diabetes complications. Dr. Cooper has also held leading roles in
many large clinical trials in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Cooper's contributions extend to a vast network of trainees from around the globe. Many of the fellows, postdoctoral
researchers, and doctoral students Dr. Cooper trained in the past
25 years have established independent careers and leadership
positions in diabetes research and practice. His award lecture was
titled "Metabolic Karma-The Atherogenic Legacy of Diabetes."
The Norbert Freinkel Award was presented to Gernot Desoye,
PhD, research director and an associate professor of medical
biochemistry in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
of the Medical University of Graz, Austria. The award, presented
by the Pregnancy and Reproductive Health Interest Group, recognizes outstanding contributions to research and clinical care in
the field of diabetes and pregnancy.
Working to understand the regulation of placental glucose and
lipid transport, placental metabolism, and angiogenesis, Dr.
Desoye's studies have enhanced our understanding of whether
and how the placenta contributes to fetal overgrowth in diabetes
and maternal obesity. In particular, his recent work has focused
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DIABETESPRO QUARTERLY

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Diabetes Pro Quarterly - Summer 2017