Dr. Heilig completed his M.D. at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. His Residency in Internal Medicine was completed at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, MN. and his Nephrology Fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA. Dr. Heilig is currently Professor of Medicine, Chief of Nephrology & Hypertension, and Program Director for the Nephrology Fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL. His research focus is on glucose transporters in disease, particularly renal disease.

Roles for glucose transporters in diabetic kidney disease and in the progression of chronic glomerular disease.

Dr. Zhengyuan Xia had served as a cardiovascular anesthetist for more than 10 years in China before he completed his Ph.D study at the University of British Columbia (UBC), in Canada in 2004 and postdoctoral studies at UBC and University of Calgary in 2007. He is Assistant Professor and Honorary Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Anesthesiology Research Laboratory of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Hong Kong. His major focus of research is cardiac protection during ischemia-reperfusion in diabetes. He has published more than 70 papers in reputed journals and is serving as an Executive Editor of Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism.

My overall research interest is the protection of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), particularly, of diabetic hearts.

My research has focused on the role of bioenergetics, ion transport and metabolic coupling factors in nutrient- and drug-stimulated insulin release at normal conditions and during diabetes mellitus. Using combinations of different methods and approaches, including 31P, 13C, and 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy techniques, polarographic and phosphorescence methods of measuring O2 consumption, Ca2+ imaging and others, I attempt to directly address the essential mechanisms of stimulus-secretion coupling in pancreatic islets.

Kenneth Maiese is Professor and Chair of Neurology and Neurosciences of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Maiese has been fortunate to receive recognition with outstanding teaching awards and election to America′s Top Physicians, the Best of U.S. Physicians, and Top Doctors. His investigations are designed to translate basic science into successful therapeutic treatments for conditions such as cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer&prime:s disease. He is a top cited author with continuous funding from the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the Bugher Foundation, a Johnson and Johnson Focused Giving Award, and the NIH. Dr. Maiese holds several patents, has over 250 publications and has authored 5 books. Dr. Maiese also serves as the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor, or editorial board member for more than 40 journals as well as on multiple executive committees, technology panels, and scientific advisory councils.Biography

Cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimers disease

Dharambir K. Sanghera is an Associate Professor in the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA

Pediatrics, Molecular Genetic Epidemiology

John S.D. Chan has completed his Ph.D, at the University of Manitoba (Canada) and research training in Canada and the USA including National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Harvard Medical School (Boston). He is the Professor of Medicine at the Université de Montréal and the Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Nephrology and Endocrinology at the Research Centre of Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM)-Hotel Dieu Hospital. He has published more than 110 papers in reputed journals and is the Editor of the eBook, “Diabetic Nephropathy”.

The role of intrarenal RAS and ROS in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, with special emphasis on renal angiotensinogen gene expression and intrarenal ROS generation on tubular apoptosis in diabetes. Transgenic mice specifically overexpressing angiotensinogen and catalase in the kidney will be used to study the molecular mechanism(s) of intrarenal RAS and ROS action on the induction of tubular fibrosis and apoptosis in diabetes. Gene chip microarrays will be used to identify the unique genes that are differentially expressed in diabetic kidneys. The physiological role(s) of these unique genes will be studied in vitro and in vivo.

Zhang obtained her Bachelor of Medicine (1989) from Shanghai Medical University, China. Then, she obtained her MSc (1999) and PhD (2002, recipient of a CIHR doctoral award) degrees from the Université de Montréal in the Department of Biomedical Sciences under the supervision of Dr John Chan (CRCHUM). With the support of a CIHR research fellowship (2002-2004), she finished her post-doctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School under the supervision of Dr Julie Ingelfinger. In October 2004, she was recruited back to CRCHUM and MDRC as an independent investigator. She was the recipient of Young Investigator Award from CIHR-KRESCEN (Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training; 2005-2008) program and Chercheur-boursier junior I du FRSQ (2005-2009). Currently, she is a scholar of Chercheur-boursier junior II du FRSQ (2010-2013). With financial supports by the CIHR, Kidney Foundation of Canada, FRSQ, Fondation du CHUM, Leader Opportunity Fund of Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Heart Stroke Foundation of Quebec, her research program has been focused on the area of "Maternal Diabetes and Perinatal Programming of Kidney and Cardiovascular Diseases".

Role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in maternal diabetes-induced perinatal programming Role of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) gene expression on maternal diabetes-induced perinatal programming of hypertension

McEneny obtained her PhD from Queen’s University, Belfast, UK and is currently a senior lecture in the Centre for Public Health, also at Queen’s University Belfast, UK. Dr. McEneny has authored 75 papers, is on the editorial board of several journals, and is a reviewer for several eminent journals and granting bodies. Currently, Dr. McEneny’s main focus of research is the role of inflammation and how this influences the anti-atherogenic properties of high density lipoproteins. The main subject populations under investigation include those with characteristics of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes and known cardiovascular disease.

Cell and Molecular Biology

Domenico Merante completed his medical degree in 1988 at the age of 25 and in 1993 became specialist of endocrinology and diabetes, both degrees obtained at Pisa University/Italy and St. Chiara Hospital, Pisa. He is currently Senior Director of Clinical Development of Daiichi Sankyo Development Ltd. in the UK. He previously worked at GSK, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Lab. Guidotti. He has dedicated over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry mainly working in diabetes, endocrinology, hypertension and neuropathic pain areas of research. Dr Merante has published 21 papers and 18 abstracts in reputed journals as main or co-author.

Insulin-secreting cell development and regeneration
Pancreatic progenitor/stem cell biology
Gene expression and regulation
Development of high throughput cell-based assay

Mark Gorrell has a PhD from Australian National University and conducted postdoctoral studies at University of Melbourne and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He heads a liver disease pathogenesis, dipeptidyl peptidases and diabetes research group. He has authored 109 papers and patents, primarily on DPP4 and related proteases and on liver disease pathogenesis, is treasurer of the International Proteolysis Society and is on 3 editorial boards. 

Mark D. Gorrell is devoted to understanding the functions of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV [DPP4] gene family enzymes and the molecular basis of chronic liver disease and how to exploit this knowledge to alleviate human illness. DPP4 is the target of a successful new type 2 diabetes therapy that is benefiting millions of patients. Improving understanding will lead to improved therapy for chronic liver disease sufferers, whether their illness is hepatitis B or C, autoimmune disease or fatty liver disease. Authorship: 106 publications including 5 patents, with about half the publications involving the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 gene family and most of the remainder on liver disease pathogenesis

Khaled A Alswat, MBBS, CCD, FACP is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Taif University and a Consultant physician of Endocrinology and Diabetes at King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Tertiary and Referral Center in the Western Region, Saudi Arabia. With outstanding educational and research activities, he received his post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology from the George Washington University, Washington DC, USA. He is Certified Clinical Densitometrist by the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD).Active member of numerous Endocrine organizations. Actively participated in many Endocrine meetings including the Endocrine Society 2011&2012 meetings where some of his research was selected to be in the presidential session and amongst the top studies that received special mention in US media coverage.

Patrizio Tatti Graduated in Rome at the age of 24, and specialized in Endocrinology and Metabolism. He produced more than 100 papers. Currently is the chief of Diabetes and Metabolism Unit for 7 hospitals in Rome and is President elect of the SIMDO (Italian Society of Hospital Diabetologists)

Ippei Kanazawa is an Assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Internal Medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine. He has received a PhD in Medical Science from Shimane University Graduate School of Medicine, Izumo, Shimane, Japan in 2009. He received “Research exhortation award” from Japanese Society of Osteoporosis and “Plenary research award” from Japanese Society of Endocrinology in 2007 and “Academic exhortation award” from Japanese Society of Osteoporosis and “Asia travel award” from Japanese Society of Bone and Mineral Research in 2006.

Association between adipocytokines and bone metabolism Atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus Bone metabolism in diabetes mellitus

Dr. Dianne Kristine Joy Closa, 28 year oldfrom Philippines, completed her Medicine Degree at PamantasanngLungsodngMaynila (University of the City of Manila) in 2010, Clinical Internship at Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center in 2011 and currently on 2nd year of Residency Training at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine. She has authored/co-authored 3 unpublished clinical studies and has participated in poster presentations in St. Luke’s Medical Center and Philippine Society of Endocrine and Metabolism.

Mehmet Akif Buyukbese has an MD degree from Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine and has completed internal medicine residency program at Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey in 1999 where he started focusing on diabetes subject. He founded internal medicine department at KSU Medical School in 2000 and served as a head for 6 years. Board certified in internal medicine (2002, Turkey)He had several diabetes management and research observership experiences in the US such as Albert Einstein College of Medicine, University of Yeshiva, Bronx, NY (2 months), MD Anderson, Univ TX Houston Diabetes and Endocrinology Program (3 months) and Indian Medical Health Center, NIH, Diabetes Outpatient Clinic (Phoenix), worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in UK (Univ of Leicester, Clinical Diabetes Research Centre-5 months), Kronos Longevity Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ (1.5 years-2009). Has an ECFMG certificate (2008). He is member of IDF, Trustees of Turkish Diabetes Foundation, European Society of Cardiology. Served for Southeastearn Anatolia Diabetes Project for 6 years and now he is the Kahramanmaras City Coordinator of ‘Presidency of Turkey Diabetes-Peer’ Project. He has been appointed full professorship in 2011 and carrying on his diabetes patient and family medicine physician eduaction programs as well as phase 3 and phase 4 diabetes drug clinical studies in the same university. He has more than a 100 publications both in Turkish and English in internal medicine area mostly in diabetes. He is in the editorial board of Open Inflammatory Journal, Journal of Clinical Medicine and Research and reviewer of Science Alert, European Journal of Internal Medicine, Balkan Medical Journal, Diabetes Forum (Turkish), Diabetes Science and Endocrinology (Turkish), Glance at Diabetes (Turkish), Turkey Clinics Medical Science, Dialogue in Endocrinology (Turkish), ..etc

Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Cholesterol, Diabetes Mellitus and Complications, Blood Pressure, Diabetes research, Diabetics, Diabetes mellitus, wound healing process, Hypertension Management, Diabetes Management, and Metabolic Syndome.

Weidong Han has completed his Ph.D at the age of 31 years from Chinese PLA General Hospital and postdoctoral studies from University of London. He is the director of Bio-therapeutic Department and Molecule and Immunology Department of Chinese PLA General Hospital. He has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals.

Hormone related cancer, Cellular reprogramming, Clinical translation

Dr. Gaurav Sharma is a practicing Diabetologist and a lifestyle doctor at the Holy Angles Hospital New Delhi, India. He holds a post-graduation in Sports Medicine with more than 10 years of medical education and more than 10 years of experience in the management of lifestyle diseases. He is also a certified fitness trainer, a certified yoga instructor, a 4th level Reiki master. He has studied Ayurveda in great detail, as it’s a part of his inheritance. Dr.Gaurav has also studied Acupuncture; he treats a variety of patients who range from housewives to sports person and celebrities. Having successfully reversed diabetes in hundreds of patients, where people have been taken off oral Hypoglycemics and even Insulin. He brings his vast experience and expertise on how to reverse Diabetes.