dkNET community events and announcements in October, 2024

Dear dkNET Community,

dkNET provides updates on activities of interest to the NIDDK-supported community. You could keep up to date on these activities through our Twitter feed @dkNET_info, through our Community Calendar, or through dkNET e-mail list. If you have an event or funding opportunities you'd like to advertise, please contact us info_at_dknet.org.

dkNET News

• New Funding Opportunity - dkNET Pilot Funding Program in AI Models to Accelerate Diabetes Heterogeneity Research: Interested in advancing Type 2 Diabetes research? The dkNET Pilot Funding Program offers support for AI-driven projects focused on T2D heterogeneity. Application due Nov 12. Learn more: https://dknet.org/about/ai-pilot

• dkNET Upcoming Webinar: Explore our exciting lineup of speakers and resources for the 2024 Fall/Winter webinar series! Check out our webinar webpage: https://dknet.org/about/webinar. Upcoming webinars: (1) Introduction to AI-READI, Studying Salutogenesis in T2DM, presented by Drs. Cecilia Lee, Bhavesh Patel, and Sally L. Baxter on Friday, October 11, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm PT (2) “The ADI IsletCore and HumanIslets.com: Improving Accessibility, Integration and Usability of Human Research Islet Data” presented by Dr. Patrick MacDonald on Friday, October 25, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm PT.

Events in October 2024

Oct. 10-11, 2024

NIDDK Workshop: Implementation Science and Health Equity (Hybrid)

To explore how NIDDK-interested researchers can use implementation science to ensure NIDDK’s evidence-based and promising interventions re ach 1) diverse populations at highest risk and/or with disparate rates for NIDDK diseases/conditions and 2) diverse practice settings (e.g., clinics, schools, places of worship, workplace, social services agencies, and other community organizations).

Location:  Bethesda, MD, USA

More information: https://www.niddk .nih.gov/news/meetings-workshops/2024/implementation-science-and-health-equity-workshop

Oct. 11, 2024

dkNET Webinar "Introduction to AI-READI, Studying Salutogenesis in T2DM"

Join dkNET Webinar on Friday, October 11, 2024, 11 am - 1 2 pm PT

Presenters: 

Cecilia Lee, MD, MS. Professor, Klorfine Family Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology, University of Washington

Bhavesh Patel, PhD. Research Professor, California Medical Innovations Institute

Sally L. Baxter, MD, MSc. Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Informatics, University of California San Diego

Abstract

The AI-READI (Artificial Intelligence Ready and Equitable Atlas for Diabetes Insights, https://aireadi.org) project, funded by the NIH Common Fund’s Bridge2AI Program, aims to develop a multimodal dataset specifically designed to be AI-ready for the study of salutogenesis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Despite advancements in diabetes care, limited knowledge exists on how individuals with T2DM may revert to health. AI-RE ADI team is building this dataset from a diverse cohort of 4,000 participants, ensuring it is structured for immediate use in machine learning algorithm training and analysis. The project emphasizes ethical and equitable da ta collection, adherence to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles, and establishing best practices for data sharing and management. By focusing on AI-readiness, the dataset will enable rap id application of machine learning to uncover novel insights into effective treatment strategies.

This presentation will introduce the AI-READI project, present the dataset, demonstrate how to request the datasets and explore potential research questions that can be addressed using machine l earning, such as identifying predictors of health improvement in T2DM, understanding disease progression, and investigating the impact of various risk factors.

The top 3 key questions that Bridge2AI AI- READI datasets can answer:

1. How can we better understand Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) heterogeneity?
2. What are the connections between multi-organ function in T2DM, and how are the kidney, heart, eye, brain interlinked?
3. How do interactions between environmental factors (e.g. air pollution) drive outcomes in T2DM?

Dial-in Information: https://uchealth.zoom.us/meetin g/register/tZEsdOmqqDgiEtes2c8OVfCoFPZlZ2vxi6Hx

More information: https://dknet.org/about/blog/2776

Oct. 16-18, 2024

The Western Region Islet Study Group Annual Meeting (WRISG)

The Western Region Islet Study Group (WRISG) 2024 meeting aims to bring together trainees and faculty studying islet biology to share their discoveries, enhance interactions, and encourage collaboration in diabetes across Western Canada and the USA. Any research in islet biology is welcome.

Location:  Pacific Grove, CA, USA

More information: https://med.stanford.edu/genomics-of-diabetes/wrisg-meeting-2024.html

Oct. 17, 2024

NIDDK AI in Precision Medicine Preworkshop Webinar Series

NIDDK is pleased to announce the AI in Precision Medicine for Diabetes and Other Chronic Diseases Pre-Workshop Speaker Series. This pre-workshop speaker series is intended to set the stage for discussions about the advancement of AI and data science and its applications to and impact upon precision medicine. 

Part I: The Bio-Behavioral Dimensions of Diabetes Heterogeneity

https://nih.zo omgov.com/j/1617468705?pwd=JlqDARcaIBItOmw9bORkRLaCX70And.1The first series will be hosted on Thursday, October 17 from 11 – 1pm EST and will feature:

Dr. Yao Qin, UCSB on “Data-driven machi ne learning and closed-loop diabetes care” and Dr. Ashu Sabharwal, Rice U, on “Bio-behavioral pathways in diabetes”

More information: https://dknet.org/about/dknetnews/2774

Oct. 24, 2024

NIDDK AI in Precision Medicina Preworkshop Webinar Series

NIDDK is pleased to announce the AI in Precision Medicine for Diabetes and Other Chronic Diseases Pre-Workshop Speaker Series. This pre-workshop speaker series is intended to set the stage for discussions about the advancement of AI and data science and its applications to and impact upon precision medicine.

Part II: Advances in AI and Applications in Biomedicine

https://nih.zoomgov.com /j/1605069617?pwd=Ibhhv0HU2ZBIzEaldMPoqXyC32TuG8.1

The second series will be hosted on Thursday, October 24 from 1-3pm EST and will feature

Dr. James Zou Stanford U, on  “AI agents in biomedicine”, and Dr. Eran Halperin, UCLA,  on “ AI challenges and opportunities across data modalities in medicine”.

More information: https://dknet.org/about/dknetnews/2774

Oct. 25, 2024

dkNET Webinar "The ADI IsletCore and HumanIslets.com: Improving Accessibility, Integration and Usability of Human Research Islet Data"

Join dkNET Webinar on Friday, October 25, 2024, 11 am - 1 2 pm PT

Presenter: Patrick MacDonald, PhD. Professor, Canada Research Chair in Islet Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canad a

Abstract

The Alberta Diabetes Institute (ADI) IsletCore is one of the world's largest centers dedicated to isolating, distributing, and biobanking insulin-producing pancreatic islets from organ donors, exclusively for research. Serving research groups and institutions globally, ADI IsletCore now distributes banked and fresh pancreas, intestine, adipose, lymph nodes and spleen. Leveraging a network of collaborators to collecting islet phenotyping data, the HumanIslets.com Consortium was established to enhance the quality, accessibility, usability, and integration of comprehensive molecular and physiological phenotyping datasets from human islets, which are critical yet limited resources in diabetes research. HumanIslets.com, an open resource, currently includes data on 547 human islet donors, offering researchers access to linked datasets describing molecular omics profiles, islet functions, and donor phenotypes, and enabling statistical, visual, and functional analyses at donor, islet, or single-cell levels while considering potential confounders. This platform, in conjunction with an active biobanking program, provides a growing and adaptable set of resources and tools to support the global diabetes and islet research community.

The top 4 key questions that HumanIslets can answer:

1. Which pancreatic islet transcripts and proteins correlate with organ donor phenotypes such as age, sex, BMI or diabetes status?

2. What are some novel islet cell-type specific gene markers?

3. Does m y expression of my gene/protein of interest correlate with any islet functional measures, such as insulin secretion or electrical activity?

4. How can I correct for technical co-variates in islet data analysis?

More information: https://dknet.org/about/webinar

Oct. 30-Nov. 03, 2024

American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting

The 2024 ATA Annual Meeting will be the largest gathering of thyroidologists in the world! Join us in Chicago, Illinois to connect, network, and share the latest updates in research and clinical care. We’ll also celebrate our award winners and leadership through various sessions and networking events. Abstract submission deadline: May 12, 2024.

Location:  Chicago, IL, USA

More information: https://www.thyroid.org/2024-annual-meeting/

Oct. 30-31, 2024

NIDDK Workshop (Hybrid): Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicine of Diabetes and Other Chronic Diseases

The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is conducting a workshop titled “AI in precision medicine for diabetes and other chronic diseases: challenges and opportunities in developing predictive models and biomarkers for disease initiation, progression, prevention, and subtypes”, to be held on Oct 30-31, 2024, at the Neuroscience Center Building, 6001 Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD. This workshop aims to bring together biomedical researchers and AI/ML experts, to discuss the critical challenges, crosscutting gaps, and opportunities and actionable items in leveraging AI/ML and other recent data science advances in precision medicine, with a focus on diabetes and other chronic disease areas relevant to the NIDDK mission.

Location:  Rockville, MD, USA

More information: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/news/meetings-workshops/2024/artificial-intelligence-in-precision-medicine-of-diabetes-2024

Funding Opportunities Information and Deadlines in October 2024

Oct. 01, 2024

NDRI (National Disease Research Interchange) Funding Opportunity Application Due: HTORR Pilot Award Program

NIDDK supports the Human Tissues and Organs for Research Re source (HTORR) U42 program, which is now offering a new Pilot Award Program. This Pilot Award Program is intended to facilitate the generation of preliminary data necessary for an investigator to obtain subsequent funding, and will support individuals that meet at least one of the following three high priority areas: (1) Individuals from underrepresented populations in the U.S. biomedical workforce, including women, minorities, persons with disabilities and persons from disadvantaged backgrounds. (2) Early-stage investigators that are within 10 years of a terminal degree or completion of clinical residency. (3) Established investigators that are transitioning to use human biospecimens.

More information: https: //dknet.org/about/dknetnews/2748

Oct. 11, 2024

dkNET Funding Opportunity Letter of Intent Due: dkNET Pilot Funding Program in AI Models to Accelerate Diabetes Heterogeneity Research

One major challenge in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is the enormous heterogeneity associated with the disease. This pilot funding program, through the NIDDK Information Network (dkNET, https://dknet.org), is designed to capitalize on the rapid advances in AI and other data science areas in addressing major gap s in the study of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) heterogeneity, including opportunities in extracting knowledge from the enormous amount of data and literature, and in recruiting AI experts to this area of domain science. It calls f or multi-disciplinary teams to: 1) develop AI foundation models for T2D; ( 2) validate the models with top research questions in T2D heterogeneity; (3) disseminate the models and engage the community for further development\ , validation and application; and (4) develop use cases that demonstrate the models’ potential in accelerating research in diabetes heterogeneity study. The teams are expected to work with dkNET to coordinate their projects, so that awardees can integrate and share products through the dkNET platform. Application Due Date: November 12, 2024.

More information: https://dknet.org/about/ai-pilot