BOSTON – (May 4, 2015) – The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is presenting awards to three researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center at the ADA’s 75th Scientific Sessions in Boston, Massachusetts from June 5 to 9. The recipients are Lori Laffel, M.D., M.P.H., Chief of the Section on Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Diabetes at Joslin Diabetes Center and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School; George L. King, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President at Joslin Diabetes Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; and Osama Hamdy, M.D., Ph.D, FACE, Medical Director of the Obesity Clinical Program at Joslin and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“We are honored to have three of Joslin’s distinguished researchers receive recognition for their many accomplishments in research and patient care,” said John L. Brooks III, President and CEO of Joslin Diabetes Center. “These prestigious ADA awards reflect Joslin’s role as a global leader in every aspect of diabetes care and research, as well as our commitment to creative and patient-centric innovation that drives our mission of preventing, treating and curing diabetes.” 

Dr. Laffel will receive the 2015 Outstanding Physician Clinician Award during the National Scientific Achievement Awards presentation ceremony. This is one of the Association’s highest awards, presented annually to an individual who is actively involved in the clinical care of patients with diabetes. Dr. Laffel is the third Joslin recipient to receive this award, which honors her accomplishments and career history as both a mentor and healthcare provider.

The 2015 Edwin Bierman Award will be presented to Dr. King. This award is given in memory of Edwin L. Bierman, M.D., a scientist, mentor and leader in the field of diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis research.  Each year, this award recognizes a leading scientist who has made exceptional achievements in the field of diabetes-related macrovascular complications and related risk factors and who also serves as a mentor to other diabetes researchers. Dr. Bierman was a mentor of Dr. King’s during his residency at the University of Washington. Along with his award, Dr. King will deliver the lecture, “Can Insulin’s Vascular Actions be Anti-Atherogenic?”

The third recipient is Dr. Hamdy, who will receive the Michaela Modan Memorial Award for his abstract titled, “The Long-Term Effects of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Diabetes in a Real-World Clinical Practice: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study.” This abstract was chosen from the top abstracts submitted to the ADA in the areas of human studies on the epidemiology, complications, and prevention of diabetes.

The annual Scientific Sessions, hosted by the ADA, is the world’s largest diabetes meeting and brings together nearly 14,000 participants from 124 countries. The five-day meeting showcases timely and significant advances in basic science and the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.

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