There are plenty of highs and lows when it comes to diabetes, which is exactly what National Diabetes Awareness Month aims to spotlight. Each November, communities across the country team up to bring attention to the chronic illness through events and resources. With 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes each year, that need for increased awareness is becoming more and more urgent. This episode of UNT Pod focuses on students, alums and faculty who are helping to create that awareness through research and outreach – and who are potentially creating a brighter future for nearly 35 million Americans in the process.

In this episode, we discuss:

● The increasing prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at the onset of Type 1 diagnosis

● The challenges and needs inherent in dealing with Type 1

● The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s research and advocacy initiatives

● The research happening in the lab of Dr. Pamela Padilla, associate vice president of research and innovation, who is using a genetic model system to study the effects of hyperglycemia, a leading indicator of Type 2 diabetes.

Featured in this episode are:

● Bri Zaeske, a senior in UNT’s department of psychology who has Type 1 diabetes

● Courtney Garvey, Community Outreach Manager for JDRF of Fort Worth and a Type 1 diabetic

● Pamela Padilla, UNT associate vice president of research and innovation

● Saifun “Ripa” Nahar, Jose Robledo and Manuel Ruiz, Ph.D. students in Padilla’s lab

Helpful links:

● Learn more about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes: https://www.diabetes.org/

● Learn more about JDRF, including ways to volunteer: https://www.jdrf.org/

● Learn more about the research students are conducting in Padilla’s lab: https://biology.unt.edu/dr-pamela-padilla/lab-members

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