Renowned diabetes researchers gathering for 11th annual Boshell Research Day Feb. 16

The Boshell Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Program at Auburn University will hold its 11th annual Research Day Friday, Feb. 16, at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

The event brings more than 175 researchers from throughout the Unites States together learning and sharing information about research related to diabetes and the role of obesity in its development. The day-long event includes research presentations and expert speakers and culminates with a dinner and special guest speaker.

"We are especially excited about this year's guest dinner speaker," said organizer Dr. Robert Judd, a professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Judd also serves as chair of the Boshell program. "Dana Lewis, this year's guest dinner speaker, actually invented and developed her own artificial pancreas system to better control her blood glucose."

The system is available as an improved insulin pump, Dr. Judd said, after Ms. Lewis—a diabetes patient—developed it. She now heads the "Do-It-Yourself Pancreas System" and is founder of the Open Source Artificial Pancreas program. She will talk about her program following the event banquet Friday evening.

Other speakers during the day include Dr. Ajay Chawla, professor of physiology and medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco; and Dr. Kamal Rahmouni, professor of pharmacology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

The Boshell Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Program at Auburn is dedicated to improving the lives of all people with diabetes through its research and associated interdisciplinary programs, Dr. Judd said.

"Here at Auburn, we are attacking this disease from all sides, from the laboratory through a variety of clinical studies," Dr. Judd said. "This annual Research Day is an exciting opportunity for us to bring researchers and medical professionals together from many locations to discuss and share information about diabetes, obesity and their treatment."

Dr. Judd particularly notes several Auburn programs underway in the realm of diabetes research that will be highlighted during the day:

• In the College of Human Sciences, Dr. Mike Greene and his team are looking at the impact of time-restricted feeding on diet-induced obesity; and Dr. Ramesh Jeganathan is looking at the impact of obesity on the development of Alzheimer's disease.

• In the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Dr. Elizabeth Schwartz in the Department of Biological Sciences is looking at the impact of infection on metabolic demand; and Dr. Chris Easley with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is utilizing microfluidics to study secretion from adipose tissue.

• At the Harrison School of Pharmacy, Dr. Raj Amin with the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, is studying drugs which may be useful in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)."

Registration for the event is open. It is free for Boshell program members and $125 for nonmembers. Students and postdoctoral fellows can attend at no cost. A program agenda and registration information can be found at www.auburndiabetes.com.