HIRN Network


November 2023 NEWSLETTER

NEW GATEWAY AWARD RECIPIENTS

Romina Bevacqua, PhD

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

"Identification of Novel Regulatory Mechanisms Driving Human Beta-Cell Maturation and Function"

(CHIB)

Han Zhu, PhD

University of California, San Diego

"Gene regulatory programs driving metabolic maturation of human pluripotent stem cell derived β-cells"

(CHIB) 

LATEST HIRN SCIENCE

Temporal integration of scRNAseq datasets obtained from same-donor human pancreatic slices at multiple time points (Dynamic SliceSeq) revealed a BMP-dependent mechanism of endocrine and exocrine cell regeneration involving a transitional ducto-acinar stage. Furthermore, functional beta cell regeneration was reported for the first time on live pancreatic samples from T1D donors, opening the door to pharmacological approaches to regenerate beta cell mass in insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Click here to view short video.

 

Manuscript Information: Dynamic scRNA-seq of live human pancreatic slices reveals functional endocrine cell neogenesis through an intermediate ducto-acinar stage. Doke M, Álvarez-Cubela S, Klein D, Altilio I, Schulz J, Mateus Gonçalves L, Almaça J, Fraker CA, Pugliese A, Ricordi C, Qadir MMF, Pastori RL, Domínguez-Bendala J. Cell Metab. 2023 Oct 20:S1550-4131(23)00370-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.10.001. PMID:37898119

TIPS FOR THE NIH DATA SHARING MANDATE

New Reoccurring Series


Tip #5: Data Management 


The NIH data sharing mandate emphasizes the importance of good data management practices and encourages data management to be reflective of practices within specific research communities. Data management is the process of validating, organizing, protecting, maintaining, and processing scientific data to ensure the accessibility, reliability, and quality of the data for its users. As stated by the NIH, proper data management helps maintain scientific rigor and research integrity. The NIH mandate encourages data management and sharing practices to be consistent with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles. The NIH also requires grantee institutions to keep the data for three years following the closeout of the contract. 

 

Click HERE to access the detailed NIH report addressing the different requirements of data management, and how to address them in the DMS plan.  

UPCOMING WEBINAR

The next dkNET Webinar "An Encyclopedia of the Adipose Tissue Secretome to identify Mediators of Health and Disease" will be held on Friday, December 1, 2023, 11 am - 12 pm PT.


Presenter: Paul Cohen, MD, PhD, Albert Resnick, M.D. Associate Professor, Rockefeller University



To register click HERE.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Save the Date: The A-BC (Alberta-British Columbia) Islet Workshop meeting organized by the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia will be held February 15 & 16, 2024 in Silverstar, British Columbia (Canada).

The Toronto Medical Historical Club is pleased to present a free symposium on November 27, 2023, reflecting on a century of medical discovery to inspire future research advancement: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Nobel Prize for the Discovery of Insulin to Banting and Macleod: Impact and Legacy

November 27, 2023 at 2:00-5:00 EST. Campbell Conference Facility, 1 Devonshire Place (at Trinity College) Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3K7 Canada.



Zoom participation available. Registration is free of charge but required for all participants. Registration and symposium schedule available online at Toronto Medical Historical Club.

NIH NIDDK DATA-CENTRIC CHALLENGE

Help NIDDK enhance the utility of NIDDK datasets for AI applications! NIDDK and NIDDK Central Repository are hosting a data-centric challenge with the goal of generating an “AI-ready” dataset that can be used for future data challenges and to produce methods that can be used to enhance the AI-readiness of NIDDK data. Participants will enhance data on Type 1 Diabetes available through the NIDDK Central Repository from the TEDDY and TrialNet studies. Registration is open until November 30, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST. Challenge runs from December 1, 2023 - January 10, 2024.



Please visit Challenge.gov to learn more about the challenge, how to enter, eligibility, and prizes. For more information click HERE.

WIELD PROFESSIONAL WOMEN

ADVOCACY GROUP

We invite you to join WIELD (Women Inspiring and Elevating Leadership in Diabetes). 

 

WIELD is an advocacy group for professional women (and allies) in diabetes and obesity-related fields. We focus on providing resources for networking and career development, and on using our voice to recognize the accomplishments of, and removing obstacles that limit the career advancement for, women in our field.

 

For more information and free membership, visit HERE

NIH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

RFA-DK-23-004: Human Islet Research Network - Consortium on Modeling Autoimmune Diabetes (HIRN-CMAD) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

  • Application due date: March 20, 2024
  • Foreign applications are not eligible


NOT-DK-24-001: Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Cardiovascular Repository – Type 1 Diabetes (CARE-T1D) Consortium (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

  • Application due date: April 11, 2024
ALL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Below is a summary of the most recent job postings by category (Faculty, Research Staff/Admin, Postdoc). Visit the HIRN Website for a full listing of job opportunities.

LEADERSHIP/FACULTY

Scientist

Endotope Biosciences is a cutting-edge biotech start-up focused on developing the next-generation paradigm for treating with precision a broad spectrum of autoimmune conditions such as Type 1 diabetes. We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Scientist to join our dynamic team at the new Alexandria LaunchLabs space on the Columbia University Medical Center campus. The company is using a proprietary platform technology as well as unique approaches to elicit antigen-specific tolerance by in vivo targeting and reprograming of antigen-presenting cells. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research in the field of autoimmune diabetes and work towards improving the lives of autoimmune patients. To apply, please email your CV, a cover letter stating research experience and goals, along with three references to Dr. Creusot.

Associate/Professor

The Department of Pediatrics at The Keck School of Medicine (KSOM) of the University of Southern California (USC) and the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have multiple positions available and are recruiting an internationally recognized leader to serve as Research Director of the Division. Candidates are expected to qualify for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor and to be eligible for either tenure or clinical scholar designation. Rank and track will be commensurate with experience. Candidates must hold an MD, DO, and/or Ph.D. degree and have a strong record of training and scientific achievement preparing them to positively expand research and clinical practice in areas related to diabetes, nutrition, obesity and endocrinology. For more information click HERE

Assistant/Associate Professor

The Division of Gastroenterology in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University seeks an immunologist in pancreatic disorders to join the Division as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor in the University Tenure Line, University Medical Line, or the Non-Tenure Line (Research). The successful applicant should have experience in leading projects that characterize the immune landscape, using high end immune profiling, of either pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, pancreatic insufficiency, or pancreas development and has a vision to partner with physicians and scientists at Stanford to make breakthroughs in focused areas in this space. Applicants for the position should send a CV and a brief letter to include an optional diversity statement HERE.

Assistant, Associate or Full Professor 

The Department of Diabetes Immunology within the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute (AR-DMRI) at City of Hope has an opening at any professorial rank (Assistant/Associate or full professor). The successful candidate will be a scientist with interest in understanding islet autoimmunity and more broadly the disease pathogenesis at the preclinical and/or clinical levels and with the desire to translate promising insights into biomarkers, treatments and potential cures for type 1 diabetes. Interested Applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information for three references to Dr. Alberto Pugliese. 

RESEARCH STAFF/ADMIN

Senior Research Investigator

Senior Investigator will lead ongoing research projects and the staff of NIH-sponsored beta-cell biology projects. Ensure the successful execution of ongoing studies, analyze the scientific results to prepare presentations and write manuscripts based on those results. Supervise existing laboratory staff, including facilitation, documentation, analysis and communication needed for ongoing laboratory work on behalf of the Principal Investigator.  For more information, please click HERE.

Program Manager

Stanford University is seeking a Program Manager to work under the direction of faculty or other management to implement and administer the vision, strategy, and goals of the assigned academic entity/program(s). Duties include: Oversee and administer research activities by evaluating academic programs, making recommendations that impact policies and programs, and coordinating and implementing changes. Collect and analyze data, create reports, review and explain trends to determine program effectiveness; formulate and evaluate alternative solutions and/or recommendations to achieve the goals of the program. For more information, please click HERE.  

POSTDOCTORAL

Postdoctoral Position

The Stitzel Lab at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, CT is recruiting a Postdoctoral Associate to join their scientific team working to understand the precise genetic mechanisms controlling pancreatic islet identity and function and identify genes and response pathways that can be therapeutically targeted to prevent islet dysfunction and enhance islet resilience. Interested applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information with three references to Miriam Ortiz

Postdoctoral Position

The Arvan laboratory (University of Michigan) has availability for one postdoctoral trainee in the area of pancreatic beta cell biology of the secretory pathway. The primary focus of work in the Arvan lab centers around the genes and environmental factors controlling the biogenesis and storage of insulin secretory granules, and defects in such genes/factors that contribute to the development of beta cell failure in diabetes. It is expected that the successful postdoctoral candidate for this position would have recent PhD training in cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, or related field. For more information, contact Dr. Peter Arvan, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Dr. Arvan.

Postdoctoral Position

A position for postdoctoral fellow is available in the Poitout laboratory at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center. The objective of this postdoctoral project is to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying beta-cell proliferation during puberty in rodent and human beta-cells. Methodologies to be employed include rat and mouse islet isolations, adenoviral transduction of rodent and human islets, measurements of beta-cell proliferation by flow cytometry, assessment of hormone secretion, and islet transplantation in the anterior chamber of the eye. Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, letter of motivation, and the names of 2 references, to Dr. Poitout.

Postdoctoral Position

The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) at Houston, are seeking candidates who are highly motivated, detail-oriented, collaborative, and have excellent writing and verbal communication skills to join our research team. Individuals with experience in animal physiology, molecular biology, and cell biology are desired. The ideal candidates should be skilled in handling animals, mouse genetics, microscopy, and basic cell culture methods. Additional experience in transcriptomics, metabolomics, or bioinformatics is desired, but not required. To apply, please email your CV, a cover letter stating research experience and goals, along with three references to Dr. Cox.

Postdoctoral Position

The University of California, Los Angeles is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral associate interested in the interface of diabetes research and molecular imaging. This highly translatable research seeks to leverage the non-destructive, whole-body, and quantitative power of molecular imaging to directly visualize host immune-mediated rejection of allogenic β-islet grafts. The candidate is expected to lead this research initiative and deliver on research milestones described in the collaborative research initiative funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF). Candidates with experience in diabetes research interested in engaging in innovative molecular imaging or molecular imaging scientists excited to engage in research on the intersection of immunology and diabetes are strongly encouraged to apply. Interested candidates should provide a CV, cover letter, three references, and a summary of research experience to Dr. Ikotun. 

Postdoctoral Position

A postdoctoral research associate is available at Imperial College under the direction of Dr. Dominguez-Villar. The candidate with expertise in in vitro and ex vivo models to study autoantigen-specific T cell biology in type 1 diabetes using tetramers. The research programme led by Dr. Dominguez-Villar focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that maintain human regulatory T cell identity and plasticity and the regulation of CD4+ T cell responses in autoimmune and infectious disease settings. Interested candidates, please contact Dr. Margarita Dominguez-Villar.

Postdoctoral Position

The Ferreira laboratory at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, SC (http://www.ferreiralab.com) is seeking highly motivated and creative postdoctoral fellows interested in designing and developing engineered conventional and regulatory T cell therapies for autoimmune disease and cancer. Our research program is diverse, combining T cell biology, synthetic biology, and genome engineering approaches to study autoimmunity and cancer in immunocompetent and humanized mouse models of disease. Selected candidates will work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary team and will be encouraged to develop their own research interests. Candidates must have a PhD in biology, immunology, or a related field. Applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information for three references to Dr. Leonardo Ferreira.

Postdoctoral Position

A Postdoctoral Fellowship opportunity is immediately available for the highly motivated individual in the laboratory of Dr. Alberto Pugliese, MD in the AR-DMRI Department of Diabetes Immunology. The research is highly translational and primarily focused on human type 1 diabetes. The candidate will participate in several projects. Major ongoing projects are investigating miRNA biomarkers, pancreas pathology, and novel therapeutics, also in the context of the analysis of live pancreas tissue from organ donors obtained from the Network for Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD), of which Dr. Pugliese is Executive Co-Director, and in future clinical trials. Upcoming studies are projected to include the analysis of samples from patients with type 1 diabetes participating in clinical trials, with trials expected to start in late 2023 and 2024. Additional studies involve analysis of samples from recipients of pancreas-kidney transplant in the context of recurrent type 1 diabetes. Interested Applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information for three references to Dr. Alberto Pugliese

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