Annual award recognizes outstanding Breakthrough T1D volunteer leadership
Washington, D.C. and New York, Feb. 12, 2025—Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, proudly announces Shelley and Doug Lowenstein as the recipients of the 2024 John Brady Award for Innovation for their impactful volunteerism and commitment to Breakthrough T1D’s mission.
The John Brady Award for Innovation recognizes an outstanding Breakthrough T1D volunteer who has exhibited leadership in driving innovation and pioneering projects or ideas with the potential to meaningfully impact the T1D community. The award is named after John Brady, a longtime Breakthrough T1D volunteer and former member and chair of the Breakthrough T1D International Board of Directors.
Shelley and Doug Lowenstein joined the fight against T1D in April 2001, when their daughter, Emma, was diagnosed at age 14. Not long after, they began to build their T1D community and became the first co-chairs of the Night of Hope Gala for their local chapter. A decade later, they once again were gala co-chairs.
Doug served as a member of what is now the Mid Atlantic Chapter Board of Directors, and Shelley served on the Lay Review Committee reviewing research grant proposals. In 2011, Doug was asked by former CEO Jeffrey Brewer to create and lead, in collaboration with the advocacy team, a successful national campaign to improve the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s posture toward artificial pancreas technology. Soon thereafter, he joined the organization’s International Board of Directors, serving on the Development Committee and for seven years as a member of the Research Committee. In 2015, he led the first-ever organization-wide strategic planning process, which resulted in a major pivot toward funding translational research. Doug was also an active member of the Speakers Bureau, traveling across the country to talk about T1D research with donors and prospective donors.
In 2019, Shelley began searching for new ways to support the cause and took a break from her longtime work as a narrative figurative painter to focus on 2D and 3D works that celebrated the beta cell. Melding art with science, she had a series of successful shows at galleries in Washington, D.C., donating much of the proceeds to Breakthrough T1D. Recently, the Mid Atlantic Chapter has used her beta cell art as the backdrop for the interior decorations of its annual gala, and her beta cell works are in many private collections. After he left the Breakthrough T1D Board of Directors, Doug’s contributions took a different form, and in 2024 he published two seminal articles, one chronicling the history of the development of teplizumab (Tzield), the first approved immune therapy for T1D, and one on the history of the artificial pancreas. Both pieces educate stakeholders on the extraordinarily complex and challenging journey that must be navigated to get breakthrough therapies to patients and the critical role Breakthrough T1D plays in advancing the journey. Doug currently serves as Secretary of the Directors Emeritus.
“Shelley and Doug Lowenstein represent the transformational power of volunteer leadership that is truly mission-focused,” said Aaron Kowalski, PhD, Breakthrough T1D CEO. “Their innovative thinking and unique capabilities have not only advanced Breakthrough T1D’s strategic priorities, but they have also had an indelible impact on the entire type 1 diabetes community. Through their ability to translate research into powerful storytelling and artistic expression, they have helped ensure that key type 1 diabetes breakthroughs are understood widely by the type 1 diabetes community and beyond. We thank Shelley and Doug for their unwavering commitment and celebrate this achievement.”
Breakthrough T1D recognizes and appreciates all of the dedicated volunteers and supporters who commit their lives to the worldwide effort to end T1D. Volunteer award recipients were recognized at the annual Breakthrough T1D One Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
About Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF
As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. We do this by investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with government to address issues that impact the T1D community, and helping educate and empower individuals facing this condition.
About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death. Globally, it impacts nearly 9 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.
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