WSU Diabetes Initiative Forum promotes research

It’s the fifth-leading cause of death by disease in the nation; more than 18 million people in this country have it (nearly one-third of whom don’t even know it yet); and those who have it are at higher risk for heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, extremity amputations, and other chronic conditions.

Diabetes is one of the most common and serious diseases affecting the nation, as evidenced by these statistics from the American Diabetes Association. And the incidence of diabetes likely has not reached its peak yet—a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately one in three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes in his or her lifetime.

Ongoing research on the prevention and treatment of diabetes is an important priority for the nation, and Washington State University (WSU) is making an important contribution to these efforts. Diabetes has been the research focus of a significant number of WSU faculty from a wide variety of disciplines, including nursing, medical science, exercise science, and food science and human nutrition.

In an effort to highlight critical issues in diabetes research and promote collaborative projects, the university will host the WSU Diabetes Initiative Forum on Tuesday, November 8, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., on the Spokane campus. University faculty members, Department of Health policymakers, area health care professionals, and others will gather for a full-day program that emphasizes taking diabetes research from basic science to practical lifestyle applications. Those interested in attending may call 509-358-7640 or inquire by e-mail at ahec@wsu.edu by November.

The program starts off in the morning with presentations by several prominent speakers, including Dr. Frank Vinicor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); David Marrero, PhD, Indiana University; Bob Scarfo, PhD, WSU Spokane; and Dr. Maxine Hayes, Washington State Department of Health.

In the afternoon, forum attendees will break out into discussion groups headed by each of the speakers. Based on the speakers’ presentations, each group is to come up with ideas for a major interdisciplinary collaboration project. The groups are expected to discuss and follow up on the best ideas after the forum.

WSU vice chancellor of research Dennis Dyck stressed the timeliness and importance of the WSU Diabetes Initiative Forum. “Diabetes is a prevalent chronic metabolic disorder that affects many people in our society. WSU is developing a critical mass of interdisciplinary faculty interested in building research that helps to understand, prevent, and manage diabetes. This forum brings these faculty members together with other interested parties to build collaborations and expand diabetes-related research in this region.”

The WSU Diabetes Initiative Forum is presented by a multidisciplinary committee made up of representatives from the Eastern Washington Area Health Education Center, Intercollegiate College of Nursing, WSU Extension, WSU College of Pharmacy, and WSU Department of Health Policy and Administration. The forum was made possible by generous grant funding from the WSU Office of Research.

Featured Speakers

In his lecture, titled “Connecting Public Health and Diabetes Research,” keynote speaker Frank Vinicor, MD, MPH, will discuss the critical need to prevent, postpone, or reverse diabetes in the United States. Holding a specific interest in cardiovascular disease and diabetes, Dr. Vinicor joined the CDC in 1989 to develop the diabetes program from a public health perspective. He currently serves as director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. In addition, he is director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Diabetes Mellitus and clinical associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Vinicor has devoted many years of service to the American Diabetes Association, serving as president from 1995 to 1996. He is presently secretary of the North American Regional Council of the International Diabetes Federation.
 
Maxine Hayes, MD, MPH, serves as the forum’s opening speaker. As the Washington State health officer, she advises the governor and the secretary of the Washington State Department of Health on issues ranging from responding to public health emergencies to preventing childhood illness. Dr. Hayes works closely with the medical community, local health departments, and community groups to give the public the latest scientific information on how to become and stay healthy, prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and protect public health. She has a specific interest in issues relating to diabetes and diversity. Previously, Dr. Hayes served the Department of Health as assistant secretary of community and family health and division director of parent-child health services.

David Marrero, PhD, will present “Putting Research into Practice.” Marrero is the J.O. Richey Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Indiana University School of Medicine, which he joined in 1984. He is an expert in the field of clinical trials in diabetes and translation research that moves scientific advances obtained in clinical trials into the public health sector. Marrero helped design the Diabetes Prevention Program and the TRIAD study, which evaluated strategies to improve diabetes care delivery in managed care settings. His research interests include strategies for promoting diabetes prevention, care settings, improving diabetes care practices used by primary care providers, and the use of technology to facilitate care and education.

Bob Scarfo, PhD, MLA, is an associate professor with WSU Spokane’s Interdisciplinary Design Institute. A landscape architect with expertise in ecological design, social basis of design, and neighborhood/small town planning and design, Scarfo has a specific interest in how design impacts society. His lecture, “Built Environment and How it Relates to Health,” will explore the role of contemporary land planning and community design on personal, public, and community health and wellbeing. Citing evidence that the layouts of certain communities contribute to or reduce the incidence of overweight and type 2 diabetes, Scarfo advocates greater involvement of health care and public health practitioners in community planning.