Division Director’s column for Second Quarter Newsletter – July 2011
Synergy between the U of T Division of Endocrinology and the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre
I am honored and pleased to have been appointed Director of the BBDC.I plan to continue in my role as university Division Director of Endocrinology, since I believe that there is a natural synergy between these two organizations.
The Banting and Best Diabetes Centre was established in 1978 as an extra-departmental unit of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.The programs of the BBDC are supported almost entirely from the income on its endowments held by the University.Much to the credit of the previous BBDC Director, Dr. Dan Drucker, the BBDC is recognized internationally and is a tremendous enabler of diabetes research at all U of T affiliated institutions. The BBDC has an inclusive membership, it focuses on supporting trainees with studentships, travel grants and fellowships, it sponsors high value educational activities such as the Diabetes Update held every second year, its core lab supports clinical researchers and other diabetes scientists, applications for funding are subjected to a rigorous peer-review scientific process, it has excellent communications including a well-developed website and newsletter, its administration is lean and efficient and demonstrates fiscal responsibility.BBDC seminars and the Annual Scientific Day are high quality and are very well attended.
The current BBDC endowment does not support the development of new programs, unless a decision were made to divert funds from the existing, highly successful programs such as fellowships and studentships.That is certainly not my intention.Therefore, any growth and expansion of BBDC programs must be accompanied by active fundraising.Fortunately, over the past 4 years, the BBDC has developed a strong partnership with UHN, and there is a joint fundraising effort by the U of T fundraisers and fundraisers of the Toronto General Hospital Foundation.A considerable proportion of the funds raised by the TG Foundation flow back to UHN researchers in the form of fellowships and studentships.I hope to further develop this relationship and to actively pursue all fundraising opportunities to support the activities of the BBDC.Since most philanthropic giving originates with doctor-patient relationships, this partnership is of great benefit to the BBDC.I will be urging Endocrinology leadership at non-UHN hospitals to also actively participate in their respective hospital foundation’s fundraising activities and to follow the UHN model.
If we are successful in raising significant funds in support of diabetes there are many exciting initiatives we can undertake.These include but are not limited to an expansion of research funding programs, expansion of the BBDC role as a provider of diabetes education and innovator of new models of diabetes care.I would like to see the BBDC more involved in global research collaborations and outreach to primary care diabetes providers in Ontario.Since I anticipate success in fundraising over the next 5 years it is important for us to embark on intensive planning for the expansion of diabetes research, education and clinical care initiatives.Members of the Division of Endocrinology will team up with our colleagues from basic science departments to play a key role in this process, which will begin in earnest this Fall.The Division of Endocrinology and the BBDC are already world class, and I am committed to sustaining and further developing their excellence over the next 5 years.
Bruce Perkins and Dominic Ngon their promotion to Associate Professor.
Andrew Advani and Catherine Yu on successfully passing their three year review
Jacqueline James on her appointment to the position of VP Education at Mount SinaiHospital
Jeannette Goguen on her appointment to the position of Director of Programs, Department of Medicine
Mladen Vranic for receiving an honorary science degree from the University of Toronto
Ravi Retnakaran – awarded an Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation Early Researcher Award
Angela Cheung – received the Eugenie Stuart award for best MSc/PhD supervision in IMS, 2011
Baiju Shahfor receiving a CIHR New Investigator Award
CDA 2011 Operating Grant competition Award
Drucker, Daniel J.–OperatingGrant - GPR119 and the control of glucose homeostatis, Mount SinaiHospital, 2001- 2014
Hanley, Anthony J. G. – Operating Grant - Longitudinal studies of insulin resistance, beta cell dysfunction and related biomarkers I the PROMISE cohort, University of Toronto, 2011 – 2014
Lewis, Gary F. – Operating Grant – Mechanism of fatty acid-induced impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. University Health Network 2001 2014
Retnakaran, Ravi R. – Operating Grant – Vitamin D. and the early pathophysiologyof type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes. Mount Sinai Hospital 2011 2014.
Meetings
47th EASD Annual meeting- September 12-16, 2011 Lisbon, Portugal
Phil Segal grew up in Ottawa but ventured west to attend medical school at the University of Alberta. In 2004 he moved back to his home province, where he completed his Internal Medicine and Endocrinology training in Toronto. He recently completed the Master Teacher program at the University of Toronto and is excited to assume his new role as an Assistant Professor at the University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital, where he hopes to continue to develop his skills and impact as a clinician – teacher throughout the educational continuum from the most junior medical student to postgraduate endocrinology fellows.
Above all, Phil is a busy clinician. He regularly attends on the inpatient endocrinology consult service (and occasionally on the Internal Medicine teaching unit) and has a growing outpatient practice. His main clinical focus is in thyroidology- both malignant and benign disease. He has been working to develop his skills in neck ultrasound and ultrasound guided biopsy and enjoys teaching these techniques to residents and fellows.He is actively involved in teaching in the pre clerkship medical program and is helping to develop an integrated curriculum for the endocrinology component of the MMMD(Mechanisms, Manifestations and Management of Disease) course for second year medical students. He also has a particular interest in developing high quality educational resources and seminars to help non-specialist physicians safely order insulin. When he is not roaming the wards crusading against the “insulin sliding scale” he can be found working in collaboration with the nephrology team at St Michaels Hospital to develop a new “uendocrine” educational website.
Phil has and continues to play many roles in life besides being a doctor. He has been a grill chef at a diner, an amateur jazz trombonist, a member of the curling club at the University of Edinburgh, a beginner salsa dancer and even a Toastmaster.However, his current role a new dad to Jeremy, his 1 year-old son, is undoubtedly the most rewarding of all.
Members of Working Group: Ravi Retnakaran (lead), Bernard Zinman, Larry Leiter, Bruce Perkins, Lorraine Lipscombe, Muhammad Mamdani, David Klein, Baiju Shah, Julia Lowe, Denice Feig, Richard Gilbert, Gary Lewis
The original objective of the Clinical Trials Working Group was to facilitate co-ordinated clinical trial activities across the University Division of Endocrinology. In that context, in 2009, the working group applied for funding from the Department of Medicine (DOM) Strategic Innovation competition. The DOM Strategic Innovation committee asked for changes in our proposal, including (i) a single disease focus on diabetes and (ii) the development of a diabetes registry. The committee also asked that we work with the Applied Health Research Centre (AHRC) at St. Michael’s Hospital in moving this initiative forward. Our proposal was thus revised in accordance with these suggestions and was subsequently successful in obtaining the requested funds. We then met with Muhammad Mamdani and David Klein from AHRC regarding the development of this registry. As the initial plan was to develop a clinical trial and implement the registry around this trial in a cost-effective manner, the group designed a protocol for a clinical trial. Ultimately, however, the intended pharmaceutical sponsor decided not to pursue this trial in the fall of 2010.
The current focus of the group is on development of the diabetes registry. The team at AHRC is working to build the diabetes registry, which will be first tested at Mount SinaiHospital. Once it has been shown to work well, it would then be rolled out to the other sites of the Division of Endocrinology. Ultimately, it is hoped that the co-ordination between the sites achieved with this registry will facilitate co-operation and co-ordination in clinical trial activities across the Division of Endocrinology.
Journal Articles
Publications of Division of Endocrinology Cross Appointees – April 1st 2011 to June 30th 2011
Waget A, Cabou C, Masseboeuf M, Cattan P, Armanet M, Karaca M, Castel J, Garret C, Payros G, Maida A, Sulpice T, Holst JJ, Drucker DJ, Magnan C, Burcelin R.
