Diabetes Frontline Forum

Erica Sigurdson is a Canadian comedian, writer, producer, and haberdasher. Sigurdson has Icelandic ancestry. She is a two-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee, a Leo Award-winning comedy writer and is regularly featured on CBC Radio’s smash hit The Debaters. She has been performing stand-up across Canada for ten years, has travelled to Afghanistan to entertain the troops and was a semi-finalist in the Seattle International Comedy Competition. She is a nine-time repeat guest on the Maximum Fun show Stop Podcasting Yourself.

Kimberley Hanson is Executive Director of Federal Affairs at Diabetes Canada, responsible for advocacy with the federal government and on national issues. She also leads the Diabetes 360˚ initiative to implement a nation-wide strategy to address the diabetes epidemic.

Having lived with diabetes for nearly 25 years, Kim is passionate about helping others live well with the disease while also working towards a cure. Over the past 15 years, Kim and her family have raised more than $1 million for research into a cure for diabetes and for supports for adults living with type 1 diabetes. Prior to joining Diabetes Canada, Kim held various senior management positions in Communications, Business Development and Human Resources at Payments Canada and Export Development Canada.

Kimberley Hanson Presentation Overview: Living with diabetes can be very expensive. Come learn what government programs may be available to you to help defray the costs, and find out how Diabetes Canada is working to ensure that all Canadians with T1D have access to the care, medications and devices they need to live without limits!

Lorraine is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She has had the privilege of presenting workshops across Canada to both health care professionals and people who live with type 1 diabetes. Her primary area of interest is to support people in using diabetes technology to optimize management and minimize the daily burden of life with type 1.

When not at work, she is a busy mom and stepmom to six young adults and two golden retrievers. Lorraine celebrated her 32 year “diaversary” in March of last year and understands firsthand the ups and downs of daily life with diabetes.

Michelle Sorensen, founder of the Ottawa South Resiliency Clinic, is a registered clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience providing counselling and psychological services for a wide range of personal problems. These include anxiety and depression, interpersonal issues (both personal and professional), life transitions, and coping with chronic illness. She provides therapy for adults aged 18 and over, including seniors. She is also very involved in the diabetes community across Canada and works with clients struggling with the psychological impact of living with diabetes.

Michelle has been registered with the Ontario College of Psychologists since 2006, first as a Psychological Associate and now as a Psychologist. Michelle is also a member of the Ontario Psychological Association.

Dr. Vallis is a registered health psychologist based in Halifax, Canada. He is a Health Behaviour Change Consultant and Associate Professor in Family Medicine at Dalhousie University. His main area of expertise is adult health psychology, with an emphasis on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular risk and gastroenterology.

He spends most of his time training healthcare providers in behaviour change for chronic disease management. He regularly supervises clinical and academic students at Dalhousie and is active in research on motivation, behavioural change and adaptation to chronic disease. He consults nationally as well as internationally and is heavily involved in academic publications, journal editing, and clinical practice guidelines (2020 and 2006 Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obesity and 2018, 2013, 2004 Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines).

Mark Woolley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 12. His parents, Steve and Tracy, had already been exposed to the symptoms through their middle son, Matt, who was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at birth.

At the time of diagnosis, hockey had already become a significant part of Mark’s life, giving the 2001-born defenceman a strong fear that the athletic life he had become accustomed to, would be taken away.

It didn’t take long, however, for Mark to learn that if he could manage diabetes properly, and take care of his health, it wouldn’t be a factor and he could still play the game that he loves. Learning to live with diabetes didn’t come without its trials, though.

Now, as a defenceman for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Owen Sound Attack, Mark has the goal to not only raise awareness around diabetes, but to send kids to Diabetes Canada D-Camps, hoping to give them the same opportunity to learn how to live their lives with diabetes, while still living the life that they love.

Dr. Tom Elliott obtained his medical degree (MBBS) in 1982 from the University of Queensland, Australia. In 1985, he moved to Canada, where he completed his core specialist internal medicine training at the University of British Columbia (UBC). From 1989 to 1991, Dr. Elliott took advanced training in diabetes at the University of London, UK. In 1991, he obtained sub specialist certification in Endocrinology & Metabolism (including diabetes) from the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC).

Since 1992, Dr. Elliott has been a faculty member at UBC, where his current rank is Clinical Associate Professor. He was Co-Director of Undergraduate Medical Education for the UBC Division of Endocrinology from 1992 to 2012, and chaired the Endocrinology & Metabolism Society of BC, the professional body representing all BC endocrinologists and diabetes specialists, from 2008 to 2012.

Since 1992, Dr. Elliott has been on the active medical staff at Vancouver General Hospital, as well as conducting a busy private office practice in Endocrinology & Diabetology. Dr. Elliott is Director of Clinical Trials at BC Diabetes. He has authored more than 60 scientific papers and is actively engaged in 15 ongoing research projects.

Dr. Cheng is a member of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She completed medical school, internal medicine and Endocrinology training at the University of Toronto and has completed the Master Teacher Program offered through the Department of Medicine.

She has served on the Expert Committee for the 2003 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines, the Steering and Expert Committees for the 2008 revision and served as Chair of the 2013 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines. She is currently the Chair of the Professional Section of Diabetes Canada and an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Diabetes. She is Past-Chair of the Guidelines Committee for the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

She has received a Certificate of Recognition from the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the national Charles H. Best Award and the Gerald S. Wong Service Award from Diabetes Canada in recognition of her contributions.

Dr Cheng Presentation Overview: Learn more about the relationship between diabetes and sex as Dr. Alice Cheng discusses various ways diabetes can affect your sexual health.

Kate Farnsworth is the patient partner co-lead for the Innovations in Type-1 Diabetes Program. Kate has been heavily involved in the Do-It-Yourself #wearenotwaiting movement since her daughter Sydney was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 8. With a background in information technology and graphic design, Kate has lent her skillset to developing diabetes watch faces for remote monitoring used by patients worldwide.

Kate has created an online patient-driven support community for people who are exploring DIY closed-loop solutions and continues to advocate for all people with diabetes to have access to the best tools to manage their diabetes.

Dr. Wharton has his doctorate in Pharmacy and Medicine. He is the medical director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, a community based internal medicine weight management and diabetes clinic. He is an adjunct professor at McMaster University in Hamilton and York University in Toronto. He also works as an internist at Women’s College Hospital, and the Hamilton Health Sciences. Dr. Wharton is a researcher and is qualified as a diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

Dr. Wharton’s research focuses on bariatric medicine and type 2 diabetes. He is the lead author of the weight management section of the 2013 and 2018 Canadian Diabetes Guidelines, and co-chair of the 2018 Canadian Obesity Guidelines.

Dr. McGavock’s research program is focused the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in youth, with a particular focus on physical activity. My research program is has three distinct pillars designed to span the spectrum of mechanistic human physiology studies to community-based participatory action research.

Dr. McGavock is an associate professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. He is currently the co-leader of the DREAM Theme at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Dr. McGavock held a CIHR New Investigator Salary Award from 2010-2014 and currently holds a CIHR Applied Health Chair in Obesity and Resilience in Indigenous Youth.

Dr. McGavock's formal training is in Kinesiology completing a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education at the University of Manitoba (1997), a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology at McGill University (1999) and a PhD in Exercise Science at the University of Alberta(2003). Following his doctoral degree he completed a CIHR-funded post-doctoral fellowship within the Albert-based STIHR training program TORCH (2003-2004) and a Heart and Stroke Foundation/CIHR Target Obesity Fellowship in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology with Drs Benjamin Levine and Ron Victor UT Southwestern Medical Centre (2004-2006).

Dr Delilah Topic Bio: I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 14, in 1993. I have pursued high level athletics and academics since my diagnosis. I received a Hon.Bsc. in Human Biology at the University of Toronto in 2002 and went on to receive my medical degree from U of T in 2006, graduating top 6% in my class. I then completed both a residency in Internal Medicine (2009) and a fellowship in Medical Oncology (2011). Finally, I completed an additional fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital (2012) to gain more expertise in Breast and GI cancers.

Currently, I practice as a Medical Oncologist in Kelowna, and am the provincial lead of multiple-choice exams for the undergraduate medical program. My other passion is competitive running, and I have represented Canada numerous times, highlighted by three medals at the World Masters Games (2013, 2017), and a top six finish at the World Masters Track and Field Championships (2016). Currently, I am looking forward to competing in the World Masters Games in Japan in 2021.

Despite its challenges, living with Type 1 Diabetes does not have to limit your dreams, goals, and accomplishments!

Dr. Delilah Topic Presentation Overview: I look forward to sharing my journey with T1D with you! As a competitive runner, medical oncologist, and professor, I have proven that there are no limits to T1D. However, my journey was not without its challenges! I hope to provide some inspiration and tips on how to thrive and succeed despite living with a challenging disease.

Bruce A Perkins, MD MPH is Professor, Endocrinologist and Diabetes Complications Clinician-Scientist at the University of Toronto appointed to the Faculty of Medicine and to the Institute of Health, Policy, Management and Evaluation. He holds the Sam and Judy Pencer Family Chair in Diabetes Clinical Research. He obtained his MD and Internal Medicine training at the University of Toronto, his endocrinology subspecialty training at Harvard University, his Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a research fellowship in epidemiology at the Joslin Diabetes Center.

Using longitudinal cohort methods as well as clinical trials, his research work has focused on 1) Early biomarkers of diabetes complications, and 2) Interventions for prevention of complications, including artificial pancreas technologies and adjunct drug therapies added to insulin.

In 2015 he was awarded the Canadian Diabetes Association/CIHR Young Scientist Award for his research. Among other projects, he co-leads an Innovations in type 1 Diabetes group within Diabetes Action Canada, a national patient-oriented research strategy.

Dr Perkins Presentation Overview: This talk will focus on the our current efforts to use technology in type 1 diabetes practice - key knowledge around glucose sensors, insulin pumps, automated insulin delivery algorithms - and how we can better make use of them individually and advocate for better access.