Stephen Karpen, PharmD

Breakthrough T1D, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs

Keynote Speaker / Breakout Session Speaker

Stephen Karpen, PharmD, joined Breakthrough T1D in 2023 and is the Senior Director for Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Karpen is responsible for implementing Breakthrough T1D’s regulatory strategy and works to accelerate the development of T1D therapies by developing solutions to challenges faced by researchers, sponsors, and regulators.

Prior to joining Breakthrough T1D, Dr. Karpen was the Senior Scientific Director for the Critical Path Institute’s Type 1 Diabetes Consortium, a Breakthrough T1D-funded initiative, and established the Institute’s Regulatory Science Program. Dr. Karpen received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and is a Professor of Practice with the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.

An Arizona native, Dr. Karpen now lives in Denver with his wonderful wife, Jaci, and their two pups, Brown Dog and Scout.

Brandon Arbiter

Tidepool, Co-Founder & Acting CEO

Breakout Session Speaker

Brandon Arbiter is the co-founder and Acting CEO at Tidepool, a nonprofit organization dedicated to modernizing diabetes management through open, interoperable technology. He has been a driving force behind building the Tidepool ecosystem, including the Tidepool Data Platform, and establishing partnerships that helped bring Tidepool Loop—a groundbreaking, community-designed automated insulin delivery (AID) solution that received FDA clearance—to the threshold of commercialization, enabling subsequent launches, such as Sequel’s upcoming twiist, powered by Tidepool. A person with T1D himself, Brandon was an early adopter of open-source technologies, such as Nightscout, OpenAPS, and Loop.

Beyond his work at Tidepool, he serves the broader diabetes community through his roles on the International Board of Directors for Breakthrough T1D and the ADCES Technology Advisory Committee.

Brandon lives in Ken Caryl Valley outside Denver with his wife and their five-year-old son.

Brianna Greeno

Breakthrough T1D, Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs

Breakout Session Speaker

Brianna Greeno is the Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Breakthrough T1D, where she manages regulatory initiatives, fostering collaboration with academic and industry partners, and navigating global regulatory landscapes to advance life-changing treatments. She has managed regulatory submissions, multi-million-dollar data initiatives, and collaborative projects across the T1D ecosystem.

Brianna holds Project Management (PMP), Lean Six Sigma, and Agile (DASM) certifications and brings expertise in regulatory science, project management, and cross-sector engagement. She enjoys spending her free time with a book in her hand and a cat in her lap.

Monica Lanning, PA

Barbara Davis Center, Instructor, Adult Diabetes Divison

Breakout Session Speaker

Monica Lanning, PA-C, is a physician assistant at the Barbara Davis Center (BDC) for Diabetes where she provides clinical care and supports various research projects. She is passionate about educating, motivating, and supporting all people living with T1D.

She has personally lived with T1D for the past 29 years and her prior research focused on the psychosocial impacts of life with T1D. In her free time, she enjoys road biking, playing board games, and trying new arts and crafts.

Kimber Simmons, MD, MS

Barbara Davis Center, Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Breakout Session Speaker

Dr. Kimber Simmons is a pediatric endocrinologist and Associate Professor at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. She leads the Early Type 1 Diabetes Clinic and Clinical Immunotherapy Program, where she oversees real-world use of teplizumab (Tzield). She also directs Ask the Experts, a national resource helping families and providers understand and manage positive T1D screening results.

Her work focuses on translating research into care, especially in the earliest stages of type 1 diabetes, and she is a principal investigator for multiple prevention trials aimed at delaying—and ultimately curing—the disease.

Derek Theler

Actor and Producer

Celebrity Guest

Derek Theler is a successful actor and producer who was raised in Colorado. He was diagnosed with T1D at the early age of three. However, he has never allowed it to keep him from pursuing his passion.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine and Nutrition at Colorado State University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Since then, Derek has appeared in several television series, notably starring in the long-running Freeform comedy “Baby Daddy,” Starz’ “American Gods,” and Paramount’s “68 Whiskey.” He recently starred in the Disney+ Christmas film “The Naughty Nine” and the second season of the comedy TV series “The Villains of Valley View.”

Derek is passionate about educating people about T1D, the benefits of fitness and staying active, and nutrition and health. He proudly wears his Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM) on the set, seizing every opportunity to share the message that people with T1D can lead extraordinary lives with proper management and diabetes technologies. His work with Breakthrough T1D exemplifies his commitment to spreading this message and advocating for the community.