33^rd International Diabetes and Healthcare Conference

Chris MacDonald’s primary research interests lie within the prevention of lifestyle diseases and in research pertaining to the exploration of lifestyles role in the treatment of lifestyle diseases. Chris has a master’s degree in human physiology from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and is currently engaged in research exploring the potential of exercise and lifestyle in the clinical treatment of Type-2 diabetes. Chris MacDonald is also the founder of the non-profit organization Just Human whose mission is to empower and inspire the next generation of youth to be the first generation in human history that is predominantly protected from both communicable and non-communicable disease. Chris was born in the United States, but has lived and worked in Denmark the past 20 years.  He has created and participated in several TV documentary series which have aimed at enhancing health and wellbeing in Denmark

Physiology, Nutrition and Psychology

Diabetes, Addison’s Disease, Neuroglycopenia, Insulin Pumps

Serge Bottari, obtained his M.D. and his Ph.D. (Biochemistry) degrees at the Free University Brussels, Belgium. He specialized in OB/GYN and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow and Research Associate at UC San Francisco. After having been a project leader at Sandoz and CIBA-Geigy in Basle, Switzerland, he became Professor of Cell Biology at the Medical School and Head of Endocrine Biology at the University Hospital in Grenoble, France, in 1993. While still a medical student, he participated in the first purification of a G-protein coupled receptor by affinity chromatography to be reported in 1977 (Vauquelin G et al. PNAS 74:3710-14). His first publication on structure-activity affinity of ß-adrenergic receptors appeared in 1979. His major contributions have been in the field of adrenergic and angiotensin receptors, in particular the AT2 receptor which he reported as one of the first GPCRs to activate tyrosine phosphatases and to regulate endothelial cell proliferation. He also participated in the development of the angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist valsartan. He published over 70 articles in premium journals which have been cited more than 4000 times and is member of several editorial boards and expert committees (INSERM, HCERES, HAS, Marie Curie COFUND,…). His current work focuses among others on the molecular mechanisms involved in insulin resistance, infertility, nitro-oxidative stress and on the development of novel diagnostic tools.

insulin resistance, infertility, nitro-oxidative stress and on the development of novel diagnostic tools

Zvi Laron born February 6, 1927) is an Israeli paediatric endocrinologist. Born in Cernăuţi, Romania, Laron is a professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University. In 1966, he described the type of dwarfism later called Laron syndrome. His research opened the way to the treatment of many cases of growth hormone disorders. He was the first to introduce the multidisciplinary treatment for juvenile diabetes.

Juvenile diabetes

My group focuses on the role of pathogenic fibroblasts, which can be recruited from fat (adipose) tissue in the context of obesity, type-2 diabetes, muscle degeneration, and cancer. We are also interested in adipocyte heterogeneity and mechanisms controlling fatty acid transport in the context of type-2 diabetes and cancer. White and brown adipocytes are continuously replaced as they undergo senescence, and their pools in fat tissue are maintained by adipose stem cells (ASCs). In obesity, ASCs over-proliferate and undergo replicative senescence, hence, aggravating aging. This was revealed by our studies in mice lacking telomerase in ASCs. Currently, we are testing the role of replicative senescence in other types of  stem cells and the effects on aging-associated neurological and muscular dysfunction. We have discovered that, in chronic disease, tissues recruit ASCs, which can fuel cancer chemoresistance and metastasis, as well as fibrosis. Taking advantage of our expertise in targeted therapeutics, we have developed the first experimental drug targeting ASCs. Our publications demonstrate that this drug prevents obesity and suppresses cancer progression in mice. We have also applied ablation of ASC as a new therapeutic approach to muscular dystrophy intervention. We have also reported a panel of peptides that can be used for non-invasive detection and imaging of metastatic cancer cells and their conversion to therapeutics blocking cancer progression.

type-2 diabetes, muscle degeneration

Tadej Battelino completed his medical degree at the University of Ljubljana in 1990. He completed a Masters degree, and later a PhD focusing on glucose metabolism in neonatal endotoxic shock in 1996. He completed his clinical fellowship at Loyola University of Chicago, and his postdoctoral fellowship at INSERM, Paris.Professor Battelino is currently Consultant and Head of Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology, UMC Ljubljana, Head, Chair of Paediatrics, and Professor of Paediatrics at Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. He is PI on several research projects in the field of paediatric endocrinology and metabolism and was awarded the Slovene national award for research in 2014, and Gold medal for research at the University of Ljubljana in 2017. Professor Battelino is on the editorial boards for the journals Paediatric Diabetes, Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism and was Editor for the European Journal of Endocrinology from 2009 to 2015. He has authored or co-authored over 200 manuscripts in international peer-reviewed journals and participated chapters to several books.Professor Battelino is a member of numerous professional associations including the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes, for which he served as President for the 35th Annual Congress. He served on the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) council and is co-organizer of eleven annual meetings of the ATTD (Advanced Technologies and Treatment of Diabetes). Professor Battelino is a regular member of the Slovene Medical Academy and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Advanced Technologies and Treatment of Diabetes.

Mental Health