Breakthrough T1D is deeply saddened at the passing of Stacey Anderson, M.D. Dr. Anderson was a tireless champion for the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community, a brilliant researcher dedicated physician, and longtime Breakthrough T1D partner, grantee, reviewer, and friend.

“Dr. Stacey Anderson was a tremendous diabetes champion and she will be terribly missed,” said Breakthrough T1D CEO Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D. “I had the pleasure to work with Stacey for a number of years as she was a key member of the University of Virginia team. She was crucial to the development and adoption of artificial pancreas systems, which have improved the lives of many, many people with type 1 diabetes—including myself and my brother.”

Dr. Anderson was a pioneer in the field of artificial pancreas technology. Her work with the team at the Center for Diabetes Technology at the University of Virginia played a critical role in the development of these systems, including the algorithms that automate insulin delivery. Her work accelerated their pathway to the market, where they are helping people with T1D achieve better glucose control.

Her voice and expertise were pivotal to the success of the Breakthrough T1D Artificial Pancreas Consortium, which she was a member of. She was the primary investigator for one Breakthrough T1D research grant in this area and was directly involved in many more.

“Dr. Stacey Anderson was often the silent champion behind many successes in clinical trials, review panels, and study sections, where she quietly brought the team along toward a unified goal,” said Breakthrough T1D Vice President of Research Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D. “She was insightful in bringing the perspective of the person with diabetes into the study of therapies under development—a unique gift that will be missed.”

Most recently, Dr. Anderson was a co-primary investigator on The International Diabetes Closed Loop (iDCL) Trial. The results from this trial directly led to the FDA approval of Tandem Control-IQ® technology—the second automated insulin delivery system to receive approval.

In addition to her research, Dr. Anderson was a beloved physician.

Everyone at Breakthrough T1D will be thinking of Dr. Anderson’s family and will always remember the work she did to make life with T1D better for everyone affected by it. In lieu of flowers, her family has set up a charitable fund to benefit Diabetes Research at the UVA Center for Diabetes Technology, where she was the medical director.