After months and months of preparation, it’s finally here! Breakthrough T1D’s very first Clinical and Research Congress (CRC), a groundbreaking event focused entirely on type 1 diabetes (T1D), is happening this week from October 9-11 in Philadelphia, PA.
Bringing Together People United in Our Shared Goal
This scientific meeting is a groundbreaking event, uniting T1D researchers, scientists, healthcare professionals (HCPs), industry leaders, and community members from all parts of the globe, whose lives have been shaped by T1D in one way or another. Attendees will have the chance to discuss cutting-edge advancements in T1D discovery science, technology, treatments, and more. Our agenda is shaped by the voices of the T1D community, ensuring that the lived experience of T1D is at the center of the ongoing work toward our shared goal: improve the lives of people with T1D as we drive toward cures.
The Chairs
This inaugural meeting was organized by our expert Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board from Breakthrough T1D, including:
- Thomas Danne, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer International
- Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer
- Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, Ph.D., APRN, CDCES, Vice President of Medical Affairs
The CRC will be hosted in Philadelphia, where Breakthrough T1D was founded 50+ years ago. Philadelphia is a hub of medical innovation and scientific advancements, making it an ideal location for experts from across the world to convene and share T1D research, clinical progress, and milestones.
The scientific program at CRC is fully accredited. Attendees who are healthcare professionals can earn up to 12.0 CEU/CME toward licensure and certification.
What We’re Looking Forward To
Cures
- Progress in several islet cell therapy studies we’re watching closely
- Novel strategies to protect transplanted islets
- New approaches in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and developments in ongoing clinical studies
- Expert perspectives on general population screening for T1D
- The role of genetic risk and other advanced technologies for T1D early detection
Cures Highlight: Breakthrough T1D-Funded Work and T1D Fund Companies
Islet cell therapies will be front-and-center at CRC. Piotr Witkowski, M.D., Ph.D., will share updates from the Breakthrough T1D-funded clinical trial at the University of Chicago for Eledon’s tegoprubart, for which he serves as lead investigator. Per-Ola Carlsson, M.D., Ph.D., will discuss gene-edited islets from Sana Biotechnology. Both Eledon and Sana are T1D Fund portfolio companies.
Several other Breakthrough T1D-funded scientists will present their work on encapsulation, manufactured islets, protective immune therapies, and more, including research stemming from our Centers of Excellence.
Two T1D Fund companies, SAB Bio and COUR Pharmaceuticals, will present findings from their ongoing DMT studies, and Carmella Evans-Molina, M.D., Ph.D., will fill us in on mechanisms of beta cell stress. On the early detection front, Andrea Steck, M.D., and Richard Oram, M.D., Ph.D., will discuss continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and genetic risk scores, respectively, in assessing early T1D risk and progression.
Improving Lives
- Recent exciting progress in T1D complications, including chronic kidney disease
- Progress in automated insulin delivery and the role of artificial intelligence
- Advancements in ketone monitoring and management
- Innovations in adjunctive therapies
Improving Lives Highlight: Breakthrough T1D-Funded Work
Boris Kovatchev, Ph.D. will present his work on “digital twin” simulation technology for AID systems, a project that has been shaped over the years by several Breakthrough T1D grants, alongside other researchers making progress toward fully closing the loop. Also featured will be Rhonda Merwin, Ph.D., discussing findings from an eating disorder study, and several presenters will cover GLP-1s and SGLT inhibitors.
Advocacy and Medical Affairs
- Developments in expanding global access to life-changing treatments
- Insights into gaps in T1D clinical care—and how we can fill them
- Strategies for clinical trial education and awareness
- Perspectives on clinical trials, pregnancy, technology, and more from HCPs living with T1D
- Discussions around scaling up islet cell therapies from a clinical perspective
Advocacy and Medical Affairs Highlight: Breakthrough T1D-Funded Work
David Beran, Ph.D., will uncover a global roadmap to improve T1D care. We’ll also hear from Jane Speight, Ph.D., who will present her work on advocating to end diabetes stigma. A number of investigators participating in Breakthrough T1D’s initial Centers of Reference rollout will also be presenting.
CRC: A Place to Come Together to Share T1D Breakthroughs
We envision this event as the go-to forum for translational updates, collaborative dialogue, and cross-sector collaboration. Our leadership and staff have worked tirelessly for months on end to bring this vision to life, and many will be in attendance participating in sessions, sharing ideas, and making sure the event runs smoothly from start to finish.
Spotlight on Breakthrough T1D and T1D Fund Staff
- Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, will chair a debate covering disease modification versus replacement therapy in T1D.
- Esther Latres, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research, will chair a session on new research models charged with accelerating T1D science.
- Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, Ph.D., APRN, CDCES, Vice President of Medical Affairs, will present on the recently published consensus report around general population screening for T1D.
- Stephanie Pearson, Vice President of Global Responsibility, will chair a session on global accessibility to treatments.
- Brynn Marks, M.D., Senior Director of Medical Affairs, will present a session on interventional diabetology.
- Dan McNamara, Head of Strategy and Industry Engagement (T1D Fund), will sit down with Zag Bio to discuss how the Fund is supporting their work in T1D. Zag’s lead program, which recently entered the clinic, aims to address the immune response driving T1D by rebalancing the immune system.
Updates Coming Your Way – Stay in the Know
Each day, we will share a highlight video and written recap of the previous day in the News and Updates section of our website. If you haven’t signed up already, fill out this form to get these recaps delivered to inbox every day, along with recurring news and updates throughout the year.
Check out on-site coverage from CRC on our social channels and interviews of attendees and presenters.
This is the first time in history Breakthrough T1D is hosting an event like this (and it won’t be the last!). We are thrilled to create a one-of-a-kind space where researchers and T1D community members from around the globe can connect, collaborate, share ideas, and ultimately contribute to our shared mission of a world without T1D. We can’t wait to share the exciting updates we’ll hear at CRC with our community. Thank you to our supporters for helping make this event possible. We wouldn’t be able to do this without you!
