The American Diabetes Association® is pleased to announce this year’s National Scientific and Health Care Achievement Award recipients. The awards honor academics, health care providers, and educators who have contributed to substantial advances in diabetes care and research.
“The diligent work of these passionate professionals is moving us closer to a world free of diabetes. Their contributions to research, prevention, and treatment are creating lasting change and improving the lives of people affected by diabetes,” said Charles “Chuck” Henderson, chief executive officer of the American Diabetes Association.
The following award recipients will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the ADA’s 84th Scientific Sessions in June.
- Professor Rury R. Holman, Mb.ChB., FRCP (Lond.), FMedSci is the recipient of the 2024 Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement, which recognizes significant long-term contributions to the understanding, treatment, or prevention of diabetes. Dr. Holman confirmed that declining beta-cell function, as opposed to insulin resistance, was the main driver for type 2 diabetes. To facilitate self-care for people with diabetes, he co-invented the earliest automated finger-pricker and automated insulin pen. He co-led the UK Prospective Diabetes which first demonstrated intensive blood glucose and tight blood pressure management minimize type 2 diabetes-related complications, and subsequently identified the potentially life-long “legacy” effects of early good glycemic management and metformin therapy.
- Stephen C.J. Parker, PhD is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award, which recognizes research in diabetes that demonstrates particular independence of thought and originality. Dr. Parker has been a leader in the field and has made several notable discoveries that link context-specific epigenome signatures to diabetes genetic predisposition and have revealed a convergence of rare coding and common regulatory genetic variation on diabetes transcriptional regulatory networks.
- Alvin C. Powers, MD is the recipient of the 2024 Albert Renold Award, which is presented to an individual whose career is distinguished by outstanding achievements in the training and mentorship of diabetes research scientists and in the development of communities of scientists to enhance diabetes research. Dr. Powers helped found the NH/NIDDK Medical Student Research Program in Diabetes which nurtures young physician-scientists nationwide. For more than two decades, he guided students as director of the Vanderbilt Medical Student Research Training Program in Diabetes and he was instrumental in restructuring the ADA’s Interest Groups to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and career development opportunities.
- Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, DSc is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Diabetes Research Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions in patient-oriented clinical outcomes research that have had a significant impact on diabetes prevention and treatment. His seminal contributions to patient-oriented clinical research during the past 30 years have had a significant impact on the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications and provided critical insights into the pathobiology of prediabetes. His body of work includes nine books, 23 book chapters, and more than 500 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
- Joshua J. Neumiller, PharmD, CDCES is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award, which recognizes a distinguished health professional who has made outstanding educational efforts in the field of diabetes. Dr. Neumiller is a clinical pharmacist, diabetes care and education specialist (DCES), clinical researcher, and a person living with type 1 diabetes. He is a longstanding ADA volunteer, previously serving as editor-in-chief for Diabetes Spectrum®, chair of the ADA’s Professional Practice Committee, and currently serving as president-elect for Health Care & Education.
- John Buse, MD, PhD is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Physician Clinician in Diabetes Award, which is presented to an individual to reward and honor meritorious contributions to diabetes clinical practice. He has spent most of his life engaged in diabetes research, spending time with patients, and learning from them much about what is important and possible in diabetes care.
- Professor Kaushik Ramaiya is the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes, which honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding research, evaluation, and care in diabetes performed from an international perspective with an international impact. He has overseen and fostered dramatic improvement in prognosis of young people with type 1 diabetes in Tanzania and throughout sub-Saharan Africa, as well as better management of type 2 diabetes across the region.
- Viswanathan Mohan, MD, PhD, DSc FACP, FACE is the recipient of the 2024 Kelly West Award for Outstanding Achievement in Epidemiology, which recognizes significant contributions to the field of diabetes epidemiology. Dr. Mohan has done extensive research on the epidemiology of diabetes and its complications in south Asians through the CUPS and CURES studies in Chennai and later the mega nationwide study of diabetes and related NCDs in India—the ICMR – INDIAB study. He is actively involved in the CARRS Epidemiology study which provided novel data on pathophysiology of diabetes in south Asians in whom insulin deficiency seems to be a greater problem than insulin resistance.
In addition, the ADA also announces the recipients of the 2024 Professional Membership Awards, recognizing excellence in the following areas:
- Darren Keith McGuire, MD, MHSc, FAHA, FACC, FESC (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health ), recipient of the Edwin Bierman Award, honoring outstanding scientific achievement in the prevention and treatment of macrovascular complications.
- Professor Fidelma Dunne, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPI (Institute of Clinical Trials, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS), University of Galway and Galway University Hospital, Galway Ireland), recipient of the Norbert Freinkel Award, honoring outstanding scientific achievement in the understanding and treatment of diabetes and pregnancy.
- Paula M. Trief, PhD (SUNY Upstate Medical University), recipient of the Richard R. Rubin Award, honoring outstanding scientific achievement in the understanding of the behavioral aspects of diabetes.
- Professor Frances L. Game, BSc, MBBCh (Hons), MRCP (UK), MRCPath, FRCP (University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust), recipient of the Roger Pecoraro Award, honoring outstanding scientific achievement in the prevention, treatment, and management of diabetes-related foot complications.
- Francine R. Kaufman, MD (Senseonics, Inc.; University of Southern California/Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), recipient of the Lois Jovanovic Transformative Woman in Diabetes Award, recognizing a female professional in the diabetes field who has made outstanding contributions to diabetes research, clinical practice, diabetes education, public health, and/or other related disciplines.
The ADA’s Scientific Sessions is the world’s largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention, and care. More than 11,000 leading physicians, scientists, and health care professionals from around the world are expected to convene to unveil cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations, and advances toward a cure for diabetes. Attendees will receive exclusive access to thousands of original research presentations and take part in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on social media using #ADASciSessions.
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About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 83 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life®. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).