Might glucagon help us understand diabetes better? And what are the challenges with studying this largely unexplored hormone?

The year 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the first evidence of glucagon-mediated metabolism. From a research perspective, glucagon has long stood in the shadow of insulin. Until now.
We are on the edge of a paradigm shift towards understanding the biology of glucagon. Diabetes is a bi-hormonal disease affected by both insulin and glucagon. Research on the overlooked hormone is important, as it could hold the key to new treatments.

Listen as an expert in the regulation of pancreatic alpha-cells and a clinician who sees the potential in glucagon biology discuss the emerging importance of glucagon in diabetes research.

Guests: 

• Alex Hamilton, a postdoctoral fellow at Lund University in Sweden and guest researcher at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark
• Nicolai Wewer Albrechtsen, clinical researcher and Associate Professor at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research at the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet in Denmark.

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine and University of Helsinki.

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy
Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts

Transcript of the episode available on our website.

Can people living with type 1 diabetes rise to elite levels in sports? And if so, what does it take to get there?

The challenge of blood glucose management and the fear of hypoglycaemia keep many people with type 1 diabetes from exercising regularly. Training for a competitive sport as an elite level is a big task in and of itself. Adding diabetes to this means dealing with even more challenges. However, new research investigates novel approaches to improving exercise-associated glucose management.

Listen as the Head of Research for Team Novo Nordisk’s Professional Cycling Team and Chief Physician from Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus discuss the challenges and solutions for elite and recreational athletes living with type 1 diabetes.

Guests:

• Sam Scott, formerly postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Bern; currently Head of Research for Team Novo Nordisk’s Professional Cycling Team.
• Esben Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Aarhus University Hospital and Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus.

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine and University of Helsinki.

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy
Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts

What happens with a child during pregnancy when the mother has malaria? Could malaria during pregnancy even cause diabetes in the child later in life?

With the majority of diabetes studies focusing on Western urbanity, we desperately need data on the challenges and changes happening in rural areas of developing countries. In countries like Tanzania, people live with double burdens, suffering from both communicable diseases like malaria and non-communicable diseases like diabetes. Furthermore, people struggle with both malnutrition and lack of medical resources. These challenges affect not just the current population, but also future generations.

Listen as an expert in gestational diabetes and a senior researcher with many years of experience with healthcare systems in developing countries discuss extending diabetes research to non-western and rural contexts.

Guests:

• Line Hjort, BRIDGE postdoctoral fellow at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
• David Beran, Assistant Professor at the Geneva University Hospital and Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine and University of Helsinki.

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy
Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts

“The greatest scientists are artists as well,” Albert Einstein once said. But how can scientists communicate their results more effectively through art? One of the most common ways of communicating science today is through a one-dimensional focus on visuals such as graphs, illustrations and images. These often lack aesthetics and thereby fail to catch attention, crippling the intended message and impact.

How do we enhance interest in our research by communicating through art, i.e. in an aesthetic fashion that draws not only on vision but on all five senses of human perception? 

Listen as junior researchers within the field of diabetes and an expert discuss possible solutions to this challenge.

Postdoc representatives:

• Daniel Ibsen, Postdoc, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Anne-Marie Wegeberg, Postdoc, Aalborg University, Denmark

Expert: Louise Whiteley - Associate Professor in Medical Science Communication and Curator at Medical Museion and the NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director at the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy

Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts and about Danish Diabetes Academy and the Winter School at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk.  

Scientists have a professional responsibility to explain the benefits of their science to the public. Social media has changed the landscape of communication, making it both easier and harder for the scientific community to reach the wider society. The ease of distribution and availability of information is in many ways positive, but misinformation flourishes, too, as it is increasingly difficult to assess sources and incentives.

How can the scientific community reach the public through social media platforms? Listen as postdocs within the field of diabetes and an expert discuss the challenges and solutions within social media.

Postdoc representatives:

• Casper Sahl Poulsen, Postdoc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Anja Elaine Sørensen, Postdoc, Roskilde University

Expert: Ida Donkin – Doctor of Medicine, Member of Danish Ethical Committee, health policy commentator, author, health communicator disseminating easy-to-understand information via social media, videos, podcasts and workshops.

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director at the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy

Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts and about Danish Diabetes Academy and the Winter School at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk.  

As scientists, we want to make discoveries that benefit society and people. To make a societal difference, we need our research findings to become or influence governmental law and policy. Therefore, we need to reach policy makers. 

However, translating research findings into meaningful and understandable context for policymakers is challenging. Furthermore, the language they use and their motivations are vastly different from what we in science are used to. So how do scientists communicate scientific advice to politicians? And is influencing politics even on the scientific radar?

Listen as postdocs within the field of diabetes and an expert discuss the challenges and solutions within this topic.

Postdoc representatives:

• Linn Gillberg, Postdoc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Chris Lewis, Postdoc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark 

Expert: Hans Jørn Kolmos - Professor and Chair of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark; has served on the Danish National Antibiotic Council at Ministry of Health

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director at the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy

Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts and about Danish Diabetes Academy and the Winter School at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk.  

Societal advancement is dependent on innovation. Novel ideas are often birthed in academia, while the tools for their development often lie within industry. Bridging the two can be difficult. Currently, tech transfer offices, innovation institutes and funding agencies aim to do so, but most support fails to capture early-stage ideas. 

A lack of knowledge and awareness compounds the problem: academics may miss the commercial potential of their ideas, and industry may not see academia as a place of business potential. 

Listen as postdocs within the field of diabetes and an expert discuss the challenges and possible solutions to bridging academia and industry.

Postdoc representatives:

• Germán Carrasquilla, Postdoc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Jonathan Belanich, Postdoc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Expert: Trine Winterø - Vice-Dean for Innovation and External Relations, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director at the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy

Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts and about Danish Diabetes Academy and the Winter School at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk.  

Being able to attract funding is a major factor in determining success in academia. While selection processes were introduced to help distribute money fairly, the current system is flawed: 1) applying for funding is time-consuming, 2) funding agencies prioritise research areas without involving early-career researchers, and 3) the selection process is unconsciously biased. Hence, there is a need to re-evaluate how funding is distributed. 

How could a Fair Funding Framework be structured? Listen as postdocs within the field of diabetes and an expert discuss the challenges and possible solutions. 

Postdoc representatives:

• Hermina Jakupovic, PhD student, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Hande Topel Batarlar, Postdoc, University of Southern Denmark

Expert: Allan Flyvbjerg, CEO of the Steno Diabetes Center in Copenhagen; Chair of the Board of the Danish Diabetes Academy; Clinical Professor at the University of Copenhagen

Host: Gretchen Repasky, Communications Director at the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy

Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts and about Danish Diabetes Academy and the Winter School at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk.  

Language is a powerful tool for shaping attitudes and behaviour.
Today, scientists and health care professionals’ communication with and about people with diabetes often includes non-inclusive, stigmatising and disempowering language. Using inclusive and empowering language has a huge potential to improve the health outcomes of people with diabetes and to increase their engagement in research.
 
Listen as postdocs within the field of diabetes and an expert discuss the challenges and solutions.
 
Postdoc representatives:

• Hannah Chatwin, PhD student, University of Southern Denmark
• Uffe Søholm, PhD student, University of Southern Denmark

Expert: Renza Scibilia - Manager at Diabetes Australia in Melbourne; health writer and diabetes advocate and activist, promoting a person-centred approach to healthcare & in the development of information and technologies

Host: Gretchen Repasky is Communications Director at the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

Publisher: Danish Diabetes Academy

Producer: Kontekst & Lyd

You can find additional information about the podcast at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk/podcasts and about Danish Diabetes Academy and the Winter School at www.danishdiabetesacademy.dk.