Research Engagement in Action – Vancouver Diabetes Research Day 2023
“A wonderful, inspiring event highlighting the rich talent of emerging scholars at UBC. An event that exemplifies the kind of environment and engagement a university community can aspire to.”
~VDRD attendee
Research Engagement in Action
On November 17, 2023 over 140 delegates gathered from across British Columbia to celebrate the 10th annual Vancouver Diabetes Research Day. An event that exemplified best practices in university trainee engagement and knowledge sharing, the annual trainee-led conference shared the latest research innovation and excellence in the field of diabetes in British Columbia. Delegates from University of British Columbia Vancouver,University of British Columbia Okanagan, University of Northern British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.
With a theme of “diabetes research; the past, present and future”, academic talks ranged from beta cells to bicycles to shared insights into the discoveries being made in the laboratories and communities across the province. Dr Patrick MacDonald, a professor of Physiology at the University of Alberta and the Canada Research Chair in Islet Biology and member of the Alberta Diabetes Institute joined as the day’s keynote speaker, while the afternoon was anchored with a presentation from new faculty member, Dr Nicole Krentz, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC. A full-circle contribution from Dr Krentz, as she was one of the trainees who in 2014 organized the inaugural Vancouver Diabetes Research Day.
November 17 shone a spotlight on the next generation of scientists, the many bright young graduate students and post doctoral research fellows who shared their recent discoveries. With patients and their families at the heart of the meeting, the BC Diabetes Research network members are poised to make life better for those living with diabetes across British Columbia.
Thank you to our sponsors and partners for their support to make the meeting possible; University of British Columbia, Bc Children’s Hospital Research Institute. VDRD 2023 would not have been possible without:
Our VDRD Trainee Organizing Committee:
Carmen Bayly, Coralie Bergeron, Makenna Cameron, Wayne Fan, Rida Khan, Samantha Mar, Rana Minab & Samantha Yoon
Our Post Doctoral Fellow Moderators:
Carmen Bayly, Hashim Islam & Liam Hall
Our Poster Session Judges:
David Wright, Hashim Islam, Jim Johnson, Carolina Tuomela, Sarah Gray, Lauar Monteiro, Patrick MacDonald, Yi Chun Chen, Ramon Klein Geltink, Liam Hall, Brucee Verchere & Howard Cen
Our Presenters, Attendees & Sponsors
We hope you enjoyed your day and we look forward to seeing you next year @VDRD2024
