Hello Diabetes Research Connection (DRC) Community,
It is a true pleasure to begin my tenure serving as the new Board President/Chair for the DRC. Like my predecessor David Winkler, I remain committed to growing and expanding the DRC so that we can fund as much innovative science as possible. Together, our collective passion and drive will inspire hope while setting a realistic, tempered approach to identify and support the best science in the Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) community. While we continue to learn and grow the organization, we welcome two additional leaders to our team. First is Karen Hooper, our new Executive Director, who joined the team in March. She brings 20 years of non-profit leadership experience with her, building innovative programs and lifetime relationships. Karen is dedicated to the DRC mission and excited to help us expand and reach more scientists and partners across the country. Next is Vincenzo Cirulli, MD, Ph.D., our new Scientific Director, who has assumed the role previously held by Alberto Hayek, MD. Vincenzo has spent his career in islet biology and brings both exceptional expertise and vision as the new leader of scientific funding. As you can see, the DRC family is growing and thriving. I invite you to please join me and help DRC fund more meritorious research than ever before. If you have questions or comments, I invite you to reach out to me anytime at info@