Each year, Diabetes Canada funds some of Canada’s most accomplished scientists and doctors in their fight against diabetes.
Learn more about some of our researchers and what motivates their work.
Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe
Home-based coaching for type 2 diabetes prevention in mothers
"Just because a program exists, doesn’t mean it will help behaviour change. The right program, flexible enough to meet the needs of these women, needed to be designed." — Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe
Dr. Lipscombe is studying an innovative home-based coaching program that may help prevent type 2 diabetes in mothers who had gestational diabetes during their pregnancy.
Dr. Sonia Butalia
Closing the health-care gaps
“This disease affects many Canadians—including close members of my family. I loved taking care of patients with diabetes, but I realized that research would hopefully allow me to help the broader community.” — Dr. Sonia Butalia
Dr. Sonia Butalia is developing and measuring the effectiveness of tools and strategies that help people with diabetes improve their cholesterol management, and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease; and exploring how young people can successfully move from pediatric to adult diabetes care.
Dr. Satya Dash
The gene factor
“There is still a lot of stigma associated with excess weight and diabetes—and mental health. I’m hoping our findings will make people realize it doesn’t always come down to a lack of willpower or choice.” — Dr. Satya Dash
Dr. Satya Dash is studying patients who have severe obesity, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes; and finding that some patients have changes in their genes that put them at risk for mental health conditions and increased weight gain.
Dr. Ahmad Haidar
An artificial pancreas is on the horizon
“My team of eight full-time and 30 part-time researchers is developing a second-generation version of the artificial pancreas that will achieve better [blood sugar] control and do even more automatically.” — Dr. Ahmad Haidar
Dr. Haidar is developing an electromechanical artificial pancreas for people with type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Sylvie Lesage
Searching for a cure for type 1 diabetes
“It is an incredible feeling to test new hypotheses, enter unknown territory, and think that these experiments could better help explain the world we live in.” — Dr. Sylvie Lesage
Why does type 1 diabetes happen? This is the question that motivates Dr. Lesage go to the lab every day.