About Doug Lowenstein:
Doug’s work with Breakthrough T1D began in April 2001 when his younger daughter, Emma, was diagnosed at age 14. It wasn’t long before he realized they were now part of a community that would always be there for them whenever they needed it and wherever they were. It also wasn’t long before he and his wife, Shelley, were “persuaded” to be the first co-chairs of the JDRF Night of Hope Gala. A decade later, they once again were gala co-chairs.
Over the years, Doug served as a member of what is now the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Board of Directors. 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 FDA’s posture toward artificial pancreas technology. Soon thereafter, he joined the International Board of Directors (IBOD) 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 instead of exclusively basic science. Doug is also an active member of the Speakers Bureau, traveling across the country to talk about T1D research with donors and prospective donors.
After Doug left the Board, he searched for a way to stay relevant and returned to his roots as a journalist. Since early 2024, he has 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 are intended to educate stakeholders on the extraordinarily complex and challenging journey that must be navigated to get breakthrough therapies to patients and of the critical role Breakthrough T1D plays in advancing the journey. Doug currently serves as Secretary of the Directors Emeritus.
