DIABETES RESEARCH CONNECTION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Board of Directors
Paige is an Industrial Designer and entrepreneur. She has been living with type 1 diabetes for nearly 30 years.
Amy's son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 5. Amy served on the Board of Directors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) for 6 years, served on JDRF's Chicago Chapter's Gala, and Walk organizing committees for about 10 years, and is currently a sustaining board member of JDRF.
Steve is the Partner and Former Intellectual Property Practice Group Leader at Sheppard, Mullin. He is also a trial lawyer with a focus on patent litigation. He is active on a number of professional, community, and charitable organizations including Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), San Diego Chapter where he was a board member from 2008-2014. Steve's niece was diagnosed with T1D twenty years ago.
Andrea's background in administration, medical billing, and over 15 years of experience in fundraising for various youth non-profit organizations, makes her a great asset to our DRC team. "I am proud to be a part of the dedicated DRC family and look forward to collaborating with this enthusiastic team to fund research to cure T1D." In her free time, Andrea enjoys pickleball with her husband and friends, staying active in our beautiful city, and family time with her two grown sons and adorable rescue dog, Trudy.
Bob's daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 32. Diabetes Research Connection is his first affiliation.
Brianna has lived with type 1 diabetes for 21 years. Her passion, energy and optimism for overcoming the challenges of living with and curing type 1 diabetes are extraordinary and are matched by her drive and intelligence.
Christine joins DRC with 19 years of non-profit development experience, including 12 years in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) research field. "The tremendous progress I've seen over the last decade in advancing T1D cures and improving T1D management inspires and motivates me. I'm delighted to join this dedicated team of caring people who work tirelessly to advance breakthroughs and solve new pieces of the complex diabetes puzzle. I have hope of seeing T1D eradicated in my lifetime and will join you in celebrating when that vision is realized!"
Job Titles:
- Investment & Finance Committee Chair
David has had type 1 diabetes for over 60 years, and also has several family members and friends with the disease. He is a founder of the Diabetes Research Connection and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer. David has been a tireless advocate and donor for diabetes research.
Vincenzo is a physician scientist who has dedicated his entire career to the study of a special class of proteins, referred to as "cell adhesion molecules", that regulate cell-to-cell interactions in virtually all tissues in the body, including pancreatic islets. A major goal of his lab is to understand the function of these proteins as biochemical signals of cell-to-cell communication in stem cell-derived islet progenitors, in developing and in mature β-cells.
Job Titles:
- Board of Directors
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Felise is a licensed Clinical Psychologist retired from her private practice in La Jolla. She is a past President of Del Mar Community Connections and Past President of the San Diego Psychological Association. She has been living with type 1 diabetes for 57 years.
Amy's son was diagnosed with T1D when he was 5 years old. She served on the Board of Directors and various committees for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Chicago chapter for 10 years and was a contributing writer to Insulin Free Times. This is her second term on the DRC Board, and she has served as the Lay Person Review Committee Chair since DRC's inception
Hannah was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) at the age of 7 and has volunteered for several non-profit organizations in the T1D community, helping to raise money for a cure and educating children and young adults on the importance of diabetes management and well-being. After receiving her degree at the University of San Diego, she decided that it was time to merge her personal and professional goals and eventually found DRC, where she hopes to make a difference in finding the cure for T1D while enhancing the Program department at DRC.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Development Coordinator
Margery has a daughter with type 1 diabetes. Margery is on the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.
Job Titles:
- Research Scientist
- Vice President
Nigel is Vice President of the Diabetes Research Connection and is a UCSD professor of Pathology whose research is focused on therapies for diabetic neuropathy and neuropathic pain.
David, lawyer and entrepreneur, has had type 1 diabetes for over 60 years, and also has several family members and friends with the disease. He is a founder of the Diabetes Research Connection and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer. David has been a tireless advocate and donor for diabetes research.
Eric, an internationalist and business entrepreneur, is committed to finding better treatments and a cure for T1D. His son Taylor was diagnosed with T1D as a child. Eric is active in a number of T1D organizations, including most recently as board chair of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology.
Job Titles:
- Physician
- Scientific Director
Alberto is a founder of the Diabetes Research Connection and serves on the Scientific Review Committee. He is Medical Director at San Diego Scripps/Whittier Diabetes Institute and Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at UCSD Medical School.