January 2025 

10th Annual FOEDRC Retreat 

 The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center hosted its 10th Annual Retreat on November 23rd at the University of Iowa’s College of Pharmacy. This day-long event highlighted the   incredible work being accomplished within the FOEDRC and provided a discussion for collaboration.

 The day began with welcoming remarks from the FOEDRC Co-Directors, Dr. Kamal Rahmouni and Dr. Andrew Norris, who set the tone for an engaging day. Following their remarks, core facility   updates were provided by Eric Weatherford, Director of the Metabolic Phenotyping Core Facility who gave an overview of the services and advancements offered by the core and Eric Taylor, Director   of the Metabolomics Core Facility who shared updates on the facility’s recent contributions to diabetes research.

 Next, Gourav Bhardwaj, Research Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine – Endocrinology and Metabolism, presented findings from his work as a recent recipient of the Pilot and Feasibility Grant.

 The retreat also featured presentations from three T32 Trainees:

· Kyle Baum, DO - Weight Loss Induced Effect on Lean Body Mass and Skeletal Muscle Physiology

· Colin Gimblet, PhD - Targeting the Vascular Endothelium to Lower Cardiovascular Risk in Prediabetes

· Alex Keyes, PhD - Dynorphinergic Neurons in the Lateral Pons Inhibit Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain via a Descending Circuit

Their research highlighted the innovative work being undertaken by the next generation of diabetes scientists.

 After a short break, the keynote presentation was delivered by Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD, Director of Indiana Diabetes Research Center at the Indiana School of Medicine. Her lecture titled  “The Many Faces of Type 1 Diabetes: Understanding Cell and Tissue-Specific Contributions to Biomarker and Treatment Strategies” helped drive thoughtful discussions.

During lunch, attendees had the chance to explore poster presentations by three T32-trainee researchers:

· Anna Leinheiser, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Applied Mathematical and Computational Sciences: A Dynamical Systems Model for the Total Fission Rate in Drp1-dependent Mitochondrial Fission.

· Bertha Martin, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology: Role of Caudal Raphe Neurons in Thermoregulation.

· Dalal El Ladiki, MD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Internal Medicine: Understanding the Role of LIPA-mediated Lipophagy in Maintaining the Function and Health of Beta Islet Cells.

Following lunch, Bing Li, PhD, recipient of the Bridge to the Cure Grant, presented on his research titled “Targeting FABP4 for the Treatment of Obesity-Associated Diseases.”

The retreat concluded with presentations from the Center for Gene Therapy by Amy Ryan, PhD, Associate Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Christoph Randak, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics – Pulmonary Medicine offering insights into cutting-edge therapeutic approaches.

For the 10th year in a row the retreat was a resounding success, showcasing the depth of research within the FOEDRC and fostering collaboration among scientists and trainees. We look forward to another year of diabetes related discoveries and shared progress in our mission to combat diabetes!