Available Programs

Visiting Professor Program.  The goal of this program is to bring outstanding diabetes investigators to the University of Minnesota for one or more days to interact with faculty, trainees, and students and to make a formal presentation in a departmental or academic unit lecture series.  At least four awards will be made each year to support these visits.  University of Minnesota faculty are invited to nominate individuals for participation in this program and to develop programs in which the Visiting Professor could participate.  Contact Betsy Seaquist at seaqu001@tc.umn.edu for information about application process click here to complete and submit an on-line application form.  Preference will be given to applications submitted by September 1 of the current academic year.

Travel grants for trainees in diabetes research.  Trainees who are presenting diabetes-related research at a national meeting are invited to apply for a $1000 travel grant. Contact Betsy Seaquist at seaqu001@tc.umn.edu for additional information about the application process or click here to complete and submit an on-line application form.

Past Trainee Travel Awardees

Spring 2009

Melena Bellin, Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, presented, "Islet function is similar in alloislet and autoislet transplant recipients despite the lower islet mass of islet autotransplants," at the Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association in June. Her mentor is Dr. Antoinette Moran.

Kevin Rank, a medical student at the Unversity of Minnesota presented "Glycemic control in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes treated with sliding scale or basal/bolus insulin regimens," at the Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting.  His mentor was Dr. Bruce Redmon.

Spring 2008

Shaban Nazarian, Fellow in the Department of Medicine, presented “Improved Insulin Sensitivity with Therapeutic Vitamin D Replacement in Pre-Diabetic Vitamin D Deficient Individuals” at the Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual meeting.  His mentor is Dr. Cary Mariash.

Laura Rasmussen-Torvik, Fellow in the Department of Epidemiology, presented “Association of Adiponectin and Adiponectin Receptor SNPs with Clamp-Derived Insulin Sensitivity in a Population of Adolescents and Their Parents” at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.  Her mentor is Dr. Jim Pankow.

Jennifer Teske, Fellow in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, presented “Elevated spontaneous physical activity and lean mass gain in obesity resistant rats” at the meeting for the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior.  Dr. Catherine Kotz is her mentor.

Spring 2007

Anjali Kumar presented "Risk of Glucose Intolerance and Diabetes in Hemipancreas Donors Selected for Normal Pre-operative Glucose Metabolism" at the 67th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.  She is a PA-C in the Department of Medicine and a Master's student.  Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist is her advisor.

Jennifer Teske presented "Orexin A effects on wakefullness in obesity prone and obesity resistant rats" at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior."  Ms. Teske is a pre-doctoral student in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition.  Dr. Catherine Kotz is her mentor.

Spring 2006

Irene Hong-McAtee, Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, presented, “Beta-cell Function 9 Mos to 5 Yrs after Intraportal Single-Donor Islet Allotransplantation”  at the ADA meeting. Her mentor is Dr. Antoinette Moran.

Jyothi Rao, Fellow in the Department of Medicine, presented, “Detection of regional cerebral blood flow changes during hypoglycemia using continuous arterial spin labeling”  at the American Diabetes Association meeting.  Her mentor is Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist.

Spring 2005

Amy Criego, Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, presented “Mechanisms responsible for hypoglycemia unawareness remain unknown” at the American Diabetes Association. Her mentor is Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist.

Luiza Caramori, Fellow in the Department of Medicine, chair for session: “Impacting Presence and Progression of Nephrology” at the American Diabetes Association meeting.  Her mentor is Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist.

Spring 2004

Jean Marc Guettier, Clinical Chief Resident at the V.A. Medical Center, presented, “Metabolic dyslipidemia is linked to polymorphisms in the FABP2 and APOC3 genes in a South Indian Population” at the American Diabetes Association meeting. His mentor is Dr. L. Georgopoulos.

Luke Benedict, Fellow in the Department of Medicine, presented, “The effect of insulin on neuronal activation during a memory task” at the Endocrine Society meeting.  His mentor is Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist.

Fall 2004

Tun Jie, Resident and Research Fellow in the Department of Surgery, presented “Pancreatic Islet Xenotransplants Restore Normoglycemia and Insulin Independence in Immunosuppressed Non-Human Primates” at a meeting in Vienna, Austria. Her mentor is Dr. Bernhard Hering. 

Kristin Sullwold, Graduate student in the Department of Psychology, presented, “The Effect of Insulin on P300 During Recognition Memory” at the Society for Neuroscience meeting. Her mentor is Dr. Charles Nelson. 

Spring 2003

Gulin Oz, Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Radiology, presented, “Non-Invasive Direct Measurement of Human Brain Glycogen Metabolism” at the American Diabetes Association.  Her mentor is Dr. Rolf Gruetter.

Spring 2002

Otto Sanchez, a Graduate Student in the Department of Kinesiology, presented his work, “Aerobic exercise training lowers skeletal muscle sorbitol levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats” at the American College of Sports Medicine meeting. Dr. LaDora Thompson is his mentor.

Angela Stoeckman, a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, presented her work, “The role of SREBP-1 in nutritional regulation of lipogenic enzyme gene expression” at the Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society.  Dr. Howard Towle is her mentor.

Fall 2002

Yisheng Pan, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Surgery, made four presentations on islet transplantation and the induction of chimerism at the International Congress of Organ Transplantation. Drs. Bernhard Hering and Zhiguang Guo are his mentors.