The University of Connecticut’s Leadership Legacy Experience is pleased to host Edward Damiano, Ph.D., for a lecture on the future of the bionic pancreas and the science behind diabetes management.
The Bionic Pancreas & The Future of Diabetes Management
with Edward Damiano, Ph.D.
Wednesday, February 26th, 2020 | 7:00PM
Student Union Theatre
Storrs, CT
Dr. Damiano is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University and the President and CEO of Beta Bionics, Inc. Ever since his wife, Dr. Toby Milgrome, diagnosed their infant son, David, with type 1 diabetes nearly 20 years ago, he has set his sights on creating a bionic pancreas that David could take to college. From 2008-2018, he and his engineering team at BU began conducting experiments testing an early version of their bionic pancreas running on a laptop computer in diabetic pigs and then conducting clinical trials in adults and children with type 1 diabetes testing a mobile version of their bionic pancreas.
In 2015, he co-founded Beta Bionics, Inc., a Massachusetts Public Benefit Corporation that is committed to the singular mission of commercializing a bionic pancreas for people with diabetes and other disorders of blood sugar regulation. Since then, Beta Bionics has developed a purpose-built, fully integrated, wearable, bionic pancreas device – referred to as the iLetTM, in homage to the islets of Langerhans – that operates independently of a smartphone. Over the past two years, the iLet has been tested in several home-use clinical trials in adults and children with type 1 diabetes. A Phase 3 clinical trial in 440 adults and children with type 1 diabetes is planned to take place later this year. The clinical data from this study will support a market application for the iLet to the FDA with the goal of making the device commercially available in the US within the next 18 months.
Admission to this event is free. All members of the community are welcome to attend.
Guided by its core principles, the Leadership Office at the University of Connecticut facilitates educational and experiential initiatives that challenge individuals and organizations to explore, strengthen, and elevate their character, leadership and ability to contribute as global citizens. The Leadership Legacy Experience is the University’s most prestigious leadership development program; through lectures, discussions and presentations, the Leadership Legacy Speaker Series offers the campus community access to renowned scholars and leaders who explore critical issues of the day.
For accommodations, please contact Veronica Jacobs at studentleadership@uconn.edu
For information on the event and the Leadership Legacy Experience, visit leadershiplegacy.uconn.edu
Contact:
Leadership Office Student Union Room 302 860.486.6588
For more information, contact: Veronica Jacobs at studentleadership@uconn.edu