We’re excited to introduce the distinguished speakers joining us at the 2026 Breakthrough T1D NorCal Community Summit on August 29 in San Ramon. This year’s lineup brings together leading experts in type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, care, and management. Learn more about the experts sharing their insights with our community below:
Dr. Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill
Keynote
Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, Ph.D., APRN, CDCES is associate vice president at Breakthrough T1D, where she is responsible for the Community Screening and Clinical Trial Education Department, which is focused on accelerating progress toward cures for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and raising awareness about early detection of T1D.
After earning B.A. and M.A. degrees in political science and international relations from the University of California, Los Angeles, Albanese-O’Neill enjoyed a successful career as a marketing executive at Southwest Airlines and later in higher education. When her oldest child was diagnosed with T1D, she pivoted to earn her B.S.N., M.S.N., and Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Florida (UF), where she then served as an assistant professor of nursing and pediatrics and as director of UF pediatric diabetes clinic operations and director of the outpatient pediatric diabetes education program.
While in academic medicine, Dr. Albanese-O’Neill maintained an active research portfolio and clinical practice. Her research on diabetes education, quality improvement, and diabetes technology has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Diabetes Care, The Lancet, Pediatric Diabetes, and Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. Albanese-O’Neill has been a passionate diabetes advocate since 2002, and in this capacity has provided testimony at congressional hearings, the White House, and in the Florida legislature. She is a co-author on state, national, and international position statements on diabetes in the school setting aimed at reducing discrimination and improving care for students with diabetes. Albanese-O’Neill has received multiple national awards and was most recently recognized as the 2023 Diabetes Care and Education Specialist of the Year by ADCES.
She spends her free time with her family and friends and plans to retire as soon as a cure for T1D is discovered, but not a moment earlier.
Dr. Saleh Adi
Co-Presenter: Interpreting Your CGM Data
Dr. Adi is a pediatric endocrinologist who specializes in Type 1 Diabetes in children and young adults. He is the Founder of UCSF’s renowned Madison Clinic for Pediatric Diabetes, and the co-founder and former Chief Medical Advisor at Tidepool.org.
While recently retired, Dr. Adi remains very active in the community and with Breakthrough T1D (a former 2-term Board Member of the Northern California Chapter). Dr Adi is also a perennial volunteer at several Diabetes Camps throughout the year, working closely with the Diabetic Youth Families (DYF) where he is also a member of the Board of Directors.
Dr. Tariq Ahmad
Teen Track: Ready, Set, Go – College
Dr. Tariq Ahmad is a pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF Children’s Hospital Oakland with special interests in type 1 diabetes; growth disorders; and diseases of the endocrine gland associated with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder.
Dr. Ahmad earned his medical degree at New York Medical College. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Cleveland Clinic Children’s and a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Dr. Ahmad is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the Endocrine Society and American Diabetes Association, and an member of the Pediatric Endocrine Society. He serves on the medical advisory board of Diabetes Youth Families and the medical providers council for Breakthrough T1D. He has presented and lectured around the country extensively on topics in pediatric endocrinology. He serves as associate director for UCSF’s fellowship program in pediatric endocrinology.
Dr. Marina Basina
Co-Presenter: Interpreting Your CGM Data
Dr. Marina Basina is a Clinical Professor at Stanford University Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology, Gerontology, and Metabolism with a special clinical and research interest in type 1 diabetes, diabetes technology, and diabetes in pregnancy.
Dr. Basina has a busy clinical practice at Stanford Hospital and Clinics seeing patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She serves as medical director of inpatient diabetes service at Stanford. She received numerous teaching awards and a Stanford Hospital award for excellence in patient care, as well as a Master teacher award. She is a member of the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange, and Chair of Breakthrough T1D Northern California’s Medical Providers Council and a Northern California Board Member.
Victoria Brandt – MPH, RDN, CDCES
How to Bolus for Hidden Carbs in Multicultural Foods
Victoria is the registered dietitian at the Kaiser Walnut Creek Pediatric Diabetes Clinic, where she brings compassion, clarity, and decades of expertise to the families she serves. She loves empowering children and their caregivers with practical skills for carb counting, balanced nutrition, and confident day to day diabetes management.
In addition to her pediatric work, Victoria supports the Maternal Fetal Medicine department’s Diabetes and Pregnancy Program, helping expectant parents navigate a healthy pregnancy with diabetes. A CDCES since 1996, she blends deep clinical knowledge with a calm, encouraging approach that puts patients at ease.
Outside of the clinic, Victoria enjoys visiting her young adult children, exploring new hiking trails, experimenting with fresh vegetarian recipes, and unwinding with yoga.
Matt Greiner – Firefighter
Teen Track Keynote – My Journey as a Firefighter Living with Type 1 Diabetes
Matt was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2000 at the age of six. Because of that, he doesn’t remember life without it, which is a big part of why he developed such a strong passion for not just managing T1D, but truly thriving with it.
Matt began his journey in the fire service at a young age, joining an explorer program at 14. He was hired as a firefighter at 20 years old with East Contra Costa County Fire District in California. After a couple of years, he lateraled to Rodeo-Hercules Fire District, where he spent nearly a decade of my career and promoted through the ranks to Captain at a relatively young age.
Two years ago, Matt moved to Florida with my family and made the decision to start over from the ground up with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. He went through the academy and probation again in his 30s, where he finished as the number one recruit out of a class of 40 cadets. After successfully completing probation, he made the decision to retire early from the fire service to spend more time with my family and fully pursue my passion for helping others.
Today, Matt works as a coach specializing in helping individuals with Type 1 Diabetes take control of their health and performance. He guides his clients in improving blood sugar management, reducing total daily insulin, increasing time in range, and building strong, sustainable habits through training and nutrition. Helping other people with T1D transform their health, confidence, and quality of life has become his true passion.
Karen Shishino Jordan – Incoming Chair, International Board of Directors, Breakthrough T1D
Advancing Cures Panel Discussion – Moderator
Karen Shishino Jordan became involved with Breakthrough T1D when her daughter Ali was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2008. In 2023, Karen was diagnosed with T1D which has added to her unique and deep understanding of what it means to live with the disease.
Karen has served on Breakthrough T1D’s IBOD and several Board Committees for more than a decade. Karen has lent her time and expertise across the entire organization having served as Chair of the Research Committee, a member of the Audit & Risk Committee, and as the current Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee through June 30, 2026. In years prior, she served as Chair of IBOD’s Funding Committee. Karen also serves on the Board of Directors of the T1D Fund: A Breakthrough T1D Venture, and on the Board for Breakthrough T1D’s Northern California Chapters. She is a member of the Joint Steering Committee for The Breakthrough T1D Center of Excellence in Northern California, which combines the expertise of Stanford University’s School of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco. She is the inaugural recipient of Breakthrough T1D’s John Brady Award for Innovation.
Karen serves on the Board of Stanford Healthcare and is the recipient of the Stanford University Governor’s Award. She is also a Board member of Stroke Onward. Her previous nonprofit work includes service on various boards, committees, and councils, including the Stanford Athletics Board, Stanford Medicine Community Council, and the Portola Valley School District. Karen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business from the University of California, Los Angeles; her Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business; and a Genetics and Genomics Certificate from Stanford Medicine. She is a member of Forward Global and has worked as an investment banker.
Jackie Le Grand
Health Policy & T1D
Jackie Le Grand is Senior Manager, Health Policy at Breakthrough T1D with with extensive experience advancing public policy initiatives that improve access to care and health outcomes. She currently serves as Senior Manager of Health Policy at Breakthrough T1D, where she focuses on federal policy issues affecting people living with type 1 diabetes, including health insurance coverage, and access to innovative therapies.
Jackie brings a strong background in health policy analysis, advocacy, and coalition-building, with prior experience at national health policy organizations and nonprofits. She holds a Master of Public Policy from Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and is based in Washington, DC. She has lived with T1D since 2007.
Gary Meininger, MD
Advancing Cures Panelist
Gary Meininger, MD, is Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Sana Biotechnology, where he oversees all aspects of Development, including Sana’s hypoimmune stem cell-islet program and in vivo cell delivery program. Since joining Sana in early 2023, Gary has overseen 2 successful INDs (in oncology and autoimmune disease) and the advancement of two programs in oncology and one program in autoimmune disease into the clinic.
Prior to joining Sana, Gary served as Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development at Vertex Cell and Genetic Therapies (VCGT), where he oversaw all aspects of clinical development for VCGT disease areas, including sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia (leading to the approval of Casgevy® [exagamglogene autotemcel]), type 1 diabetes (leading to the first successful clinical study of stem cell-derived pancreatic islets), and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Prior to Vertex, Gary spent more than eight years at Janssen where he served as Vice President, Franchise Medical Leader in the Cardiovascular-Metabolism Therapeutic Area. In this strategic role, Gary oversaw the design, development and conduct of study programs, as well as the associated regulatory interactions, filings and approvals for various products including Invokana® (canagliflozin) and Invokamet® (canagliflozin/metformin) for the treatment of glycemic control, cardiovascular disease, and diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Prior to joining Janssen, Gary worked at Merck Research Laboratories for eight years where he was a core member of the Januvia® (sitagliptin) and Janumet® (sitagliptin/metformin) development programs and oversaw several development programs from discovery through late development.
Gary currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Joslin Diabetes Center. Previously, Gary served a 4-year term as the industry representative to the FDA’s Endocrine and Metabolic Drug Advisory Committee. He has authored over 60 publications in metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal diseases. For over 16 years, Gary maintained an endocrine clinical practice at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he taught medical students, residents and fellows and maintained a faculty appointment at Rutgers Medical School.
Gary completed his residency in Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and his fellowship in Endocrinology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He obtained a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Binghamton University and an MD from New York University School of Medicine.
Diana M. Naranjo, PhD
Supporting Your Child with Type 1 Diabetes
Diana M. Naranjo, PhD, is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine. As a licensed clinical psychologist working in health clinics for the past 15 years, Dr. Naranjo focuses on the psychosocial needs of patients and families with diabetes and/or cystic fibrosis.
Through clinical research, she aims to understand barriers and facilitators to chronic illness self-management, how families and individuals with chronic illness respond to health technology, and how to best provide services that engage youth and their families. Furthermore, as a Latina-American and fluent in Spanish, much of her clinical work focuses on bridging the health-care gap for underserved ethnic minority patients with chronic illness.
Dr. Piotr Witkowski, MD
Advancing Cures Panelist
Piotr Witkowski, MD, PhD, is a leading expert in islet transplantation. He is also highly skilled in kidney and pancreas transplantation. Dr. Witkowski also performs islet autotransplantation for patients who need a total pancreatectomy.
A widely published researcher, Dr. Witkowski has an impressive record of success in both basic science and clinical research pertaining to islet cell and abdominal organ transplants. Among other accomplishments, he was instrumental in developing an optimized islet isolation technique that greatly improved success in clinical transplants. Under Dr. Witkowski’s leadership, multidisciplinary research teams at the University of Chicago are currently conducting several studies skillfully designed to improve quality and outcomes in islet cell transplantation in patients with type 1 diabetes.
Furthermore, Dr. Witkowski and his team are actively conducting multiple clinical trials including Eledon’s, that are exploring diverse approaches aimed at enhancing outcomes in both kidney and pancreatic islet transplantation. These trials represent his commitment to pushing the boundaries of medical science and offering transformative solutions to patients facing complex health challenges.