2020 Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship Awardees
Adele Bodieu Chetcha
The medical studies lasted 7 years in St Petersburg, Russia. I specialized in general pediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of Yaoundé. From there, I travelled to Nigeria to attend my training in pediatric endocrinology at the Pediatric Endocrinology Training Centre for West Africa (PETCWA) at LUTH—Lagos.
I have been an ISPAD, ESPE, and ASPAE member since 2017. I have attended the ASPAE meeting in Nigeria and Botswana and the ESPE meeting in Austria with the DOM school. I wanted to attend the ISPAD meeting last year, but my visa was refused.
In Cameroon, I worked in many regions as a pediatrician. I have been posted at the Central Hospital of Yaounde at the National Centre for Obesity, endocrinology, and Diabetes, where I see patients with different pathologies.
We run the diabetic clinic (CDiC: Changing Diabetic in Children) every Wednesday and have 1 day for endocrine issues. However, the emergencies are admitted every day, and most cases are diabetic. The other days are for general pediatrics. We run camps at least once a year for our diabetic patients and their parents or guardians. Therapeutic education sessions are done every 3 months, but with the pandemic of COVID 19, these sessions were done via WhatsApp once a week with 1 day of revision. The difficulty we encountered was a lack of an Android phone, but we used to do the education at each appointment personally.
Our unit teaches many medical students and residents studying in Yaounde and out of Yaounde.
Apoorva Gomber
Dr. Apoorva Gomber is pursuing her MPH in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She completed her MBBS from Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, and subsequently earned an MD in Pathology from PGIMER, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi. Passionate to work in the field of Type one diabetes mellitus, she received her certificate course in Evidence based Diabetes Mellitus (CCEBDM) under the Public Health Foundation of India and has been working with youth living with diabetes in building up youth advocacy initiatives through one of the not for profit organization “Diabetes India Youth in Action” (DIYA) in Delhi, India.
She has served as South East Asia Regional Representative (2017-19) at the Young Leader in Diabetes (YLD) program by the International Diabetes Federation and developed a project on setting up youth-centric Diabetes Camps – “DIYA Camps” (https://www.idf.org/53-our-network/492-diabetes-india-youth-in-action-diya-leadership-camps.html). She presented results of her research at the 45th ISPAD 2019 Annual conference on “Psychosocial impact of youth- led Diabetes Camps in India- Patient Advocacy and going beyond blood sugar testing”.
Her interest in the field of non-communicable diseases (NCD) stems from her experience as a person living with Type 1 Diabetes mellitus for over 12 years, along with a doctor’s acumen. She has been passionate about fighting against the stigma associated with the condition and also advocates for prevention and early detection of diabetes-related complications. She has been actively involved with charity organizations like Beyond Type1, T1International, and the League of DiAthletes to ensure access to affordable diabetes care and insulin, especially during humanitarian crises. She has participated as a speaker at various national and international conferences and has been a member of ISPAD since 2017. With the support of Dr Banshi Saboo and his team, she is collaboratively working towards the expansion of the SWEET Registry in India.
Living with diabetes has made her a very passionate person, encouraging her to work to improve the health of people living with diabetes across the globe. During her time at HSPH, her practicum research will be under the guidance of Dr. Lori Laffel to evaluate and strengthen the “School Nurses Education Program” at Joslin Diabetes Centre, Boston.
With the ISPAD Allan Drash Fellowship, she aims to gather deeper insights into diabetes research and the use of technology—CGMS and insulin pump therapy. Her research interests are Type 1 diabetes-related technology and working towards intuitive decision-making models for overcoming health disparities among people living with diabetes.
Manisha Gupta
Dr. Manisha Gupta, after completing her MBBS and diploma in diabetes from South India, has passed her Specialty Certificate Examination in Diabetes and Endocrine from the Royal College of Physicians, UK. She also holds the coveted post-graduate diploma and MSc in Endocrine from the University of South Wales Cardiff, UK.
Dr. Manisha Gupta has pursued several certification courses in the field of diabetes. As a Participant, she attended the coveted EASD/ISPAD/ESPE Postgraduate Education Course in T1D Children, Adolescence, and Young Adults in Prague, Czech Republic. Dr. Manisha was also selected to participate in the “Type 1 Fellow Conference organized by the Endocrine Society” in San Francisco, US, in 2020.
Dr. Manisha is an Associate Clinical and Research Consultant in the Diabetes and Endocrine department with Regency Hospital and Center for Diabetes and Endocrine. She is an active core group member of an N.G.O. (Non-Governmental Organization) - S.P.A.D. “The Society for Prevention and Awareness of Diabetes,” which has been working for the past 20 years to create awareness and help patients who are at various stages of the disease by providing them with complimentary drugs, Insulin, and Glucometers, as and when required.
She has co-authored several books on diabetes and endocrine. Dr. Manisha is a keen observer and a quick learner. With her kind of enthusiasm and zeal, her contribution has contributed immensely towards our center being nominated as an Associate center in SWEET - A Global International Registry of Type 1 Children and Adolescents. She has presented her work at platforms like ISPAD, ADA, IDF, Diabetes India, RSSDI, ISPAE, and EASD.
Dr. Manisha has also organized a “Fashion Show” exclusive to type 1 children and adolescents in India. As recognition for her contribution to the cause, she was awarded the 2nd prize in oral presentation in Diabetes India 2018 and the 1st prize in paper presentation in Medicine non-compliance in Diabetes India 2017.
Dr. Manisha is always eager to help and look after Type 1 Children and Adolescents by making them aware of the consequences of the disease and guiding them on how to be cautious about the rising trends in India.
María Teresa Onetto
María Teresa Onetto is a pediatric and adult diabetes dietitian at Catholic University Clinical Hospital in Chile. She first became interested in diabetes during college when she started volunteering at camps run by the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Chile (FDJ), an NGO dedicated to educating patients with T1D and their community.
After graduating from the Nutrition and Dietetics program at Valparaiso University, she worked at the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Chile (FDJ) for seven years, overseeing and creating educational programs and camp organizations. In 2017, she was awarded the ISPAD Science School for Healthcare Professionals in Innsbruck, Austria, where she developed her research, “Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Carbohydrate and Insulin-Dosing Knowledge in Chilean Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.”
In 2019, she created “D-Experience,” a project that seeks to empower youth and adults with type 1 diabetes through challenging sports experiences. In March 2020, María organized the first trip to Chilean Patagonia with 13 young people with type 1. The primary activities included hiking 50 km and whitewater rafting over a span of five days. She oversees the follow-up insulin pump program for kids and adults at Catholic University Hospital.
During her Allan Drash fellowship, she plans to learn how to better manage and follow up with insulin pump and CGM system users while working with the patient’s multidisciplinary team. She will also learn about new technologies not yet available in Chile.
Mysterline Joseph
Mysterline Joseph was born in Borgne, a city in the Northern region of Haiti. She attended nursing school at the prestigious National Nursing Institute of Port-au-Prince, where she graduated in October 2007. She started her career in the Southeast region of Haiti, where she worked for 6 years for different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for Aid’s Relief (PEPFAR), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and Save the Children. Here, she accumulated experience in malnutrition care, HIV vertical transmission prevention programs, and cholera management.
In 2013, she joined the nursing team at Mirebalais University Hospital, where she worked as a community nurse, leading the immunization program. Her excellent work ethic ensured she was transferred to the Pediatric Hospitalization Unit as a Team Leader. In 2014, her interest in public health led her to enroll in a Master’s in Public Health program at Quisqueya University in Haiti in partnership with Cornell University. Mirebalais University Hospital has awarded Ms. Joseph for her leadership, dynamism, and initiative in organizing the first edition of Children’s Week. Her professionalism and core values have impressed everyone working with her.
In December 2017, the medical director of Kay Mackenson Clinic (KMC), a center for children with chronic diseases, including type 1 diabetes, asked her to join the clinic’s team. As a nurse clinician at KMC, she has provided clinical care, patient teaching, and support for over 100 youth with type 1 diabetes. In addition, she is involved in several clinical research studies addressing care delivery of pediatric diabetes in Haiti in partnership with McGill University. As of September 2020, she has been promoted to head nurse at Kay Mackenson Clinic.
Ms. Joseph is excited to spend her ISPAD Allan Drash fellowship at the Montreal Children’s Hospital in Canada. There, she hopes to expand her knowledge and clinical skills in pediatric diabetes and share experiences and learning opportunities with the local multidisciplinary team. She is certain her fellowship will further motivate and support her in improving diabetes care for youth at KCM and across Haiti.
Natasha Yaneva
Dr. Natasha Yaneva, MD, PhD, was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on April 23rd, 1980. She knew she would become a Pediatrician since she was three years old - her mother was a Pediatrician and used to take her to the consulting room quite often.
Dr. Yaneva received her medical education at Trakia University, Bulgaria, in 2004 and started working in the Department of Pediatrics at the Multispeciality Hospital in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. In 2012, she completed her residency training in Pediatrics at the University Children’s Hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria. During the fellowship, Dr. Yaneva started her PhD program at the Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria, with a thesis on “Diabetic ketoacidosis and coma in children” under the mentorship of Prof. Maia Konstantinova, MD, PhD, DSc. During the PhD program in 2013, she simultaneously worked in the Department of Pediatrics in Gabrovo. She started working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the University Children’s Hospital in Sofia. Thanks to her work in both places, she expanded her clinical experience in diagnosing and treating various complex clinical cases and pediatric emergencies. In 2016, she earned her PhD degree and, in 2018, was invited to work in the Department of Diabetes at the University Children’s Hospital - Sofia. Currently, Dr. Yaneva is pursuing her specialist qualification in pediatric endocrinology and working as a part-time lecturer in pediatrics at the Medical University of Sofia.
Her research interests focus on risk factors for cerebral edema in children with diabetic ketoacidosis and, recently, on the role of autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Yaneva is seeking to expand her clinical experience in diabetes management so that she can provide up-to-date, comprehensive care for Bulgarian children and adolescents with diabetes.
Nouran Salah
Nouran Y. Salah is a lecturer and researcher in Pediatric diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism at Ain Sham University and the Armed Forces College of Medicine. She received her medical education at the Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, where she completed her residency training in Pediatrics. Her master's thesis was on the importance of CD 62 & CD19 markers in the early detection of diabetes, and her Doctorate thesis was on the importance of CGMS and insulin pump therapy in children with β-thalassemia. During the fellowship, Dr. Salah was invited to be a sub-investigator in a multi-centric clinical trial on using velaglucerase in people with Gaucher disease.
After her MD, Dr. Salah pursued post-doctoral research in pediatric diabetes and metabolism under the mentorship of Prof. Azza Tantawy and Prof Eman Moneer, which focused on pediatric T1D and metabolic disease research. She shared a study about soluble urokinase plasminogen activator as a marker of diabetic vascular complications and another study on using a continuous glucose monitoring system to monitor glycemic derangement in children with T1D.
Currently, Dr Salah is a lecturer in the pediatric and adolescent diabetes unit at Ain-shams University, which has about 2000 diabetic children and adolescents. One year ago, the clinic launched an insulin pump and advanced technology clinic with 35 patients.
Dr. Salah conducts research with youth with T1D and is specifically interested in improving access to and optimal use of diabetes technologies (e.g., Smart Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring [CGM]).
With the generous support of the Allan Drash Research Fellowship, Dr. Salah will conduct studies on the effect of insulin pumps on glycemic control in children with T1D and new modalities of detection of Micro- and macroangiopathic complications in diabetes.
Finally, Dr. Salah is very grateful for being awarded the ISPAD Allan Drash fellowship. She expresses her sincere gratitude to ISPAD, which always supports and offers opportunities for researchers from all over the world.
Peerzada Ovais Ahmad
Dr Peerzada Ovais Ahmad is a PhD candidate at the Department of Endocrinology, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, India. His research includes Vitamin D Supplementation in Type 1 Diabetes and Pregnancy and the Prevention of Chronic Vascular complications in Type 1 Diabetes. He received his medical degree MBBS at the University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC) Bangladesh in 2012. An early interest in diabetes and endocrinology during his undergraduate years has heavily influenced his work.
In 2015, as a Senior Research Fellow based at the Department of Endocrinology SKIMS in Srinagar, he led an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) funded project entitled ‘Registry of People with Diabetes in India with Young Age at Onset (YDR).’ While receiving training at SKIMS, he developed a special interest in the management of pediatric diabetes, particularly type 1 diabetes. He has been instrumental in making a young diabetes registry in the Kashmir division. Currently, his center caters to more than 600 young diabetics. He has organized and conducted multiple YDR workshops to educate diabetic children and their parents about various aspects of diabetes management. In 2017, he joined another ICMR-funded project where he conducted an RCT on vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and prematurity prevention. He is a peer reviewer of various international and endocrinology and diabetes journals.
Dr Ovais has been an ISPAD member since 2018. He presented his first abstract at the 44th Annual Conference of ISPAD in 2018 and was awarded a special travel grant. Later that year, he was awarded another travel grant to attend the 1st Joint EASD/ISPAD/ESPE postgraduate course on Type 1 Diabetes in Prague, Czech Republic. He was also selected to attend the 19th ISPAD Science School for Physicians in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He was a roving reporter’s team member for the 45th ISPAD Annual Conference in Boston, USA, and contributed to the ISPAD Annual Conference 2019 Highlights. Besides ISPAD, he is also a member of various international organizations like the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and Endocrine Society USA.
Dr Ovais is delighted to be awarded the Allan Drash Fellowship 2020. He will develop a curriculum based on the Swedish national pediatric diabetes quality improvement program. This curriculum will be developed to be culturally appropriate and to account for service delivery in a limited resource setting like India.
Rakesh Kumar
Dr. Rakesh Kumar was born and brought up in a humble background, from India's northernmost state (Jammu & Kashmir). He completed his graduation (MBBS) and postgraduation (MD, Pediatrics) from a reputed medical school in India called the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi. After completing another three years of residency at one of the best pediatric centers in India (Advanced Pediatrics Centre, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India), Dr. Kumar joined the faculty as a regular faculty member at the same institute. He did his Paediatric Endocrine Clinical Training at Manchester, UK, in 2014-15 as part of a Commonwealth Academic Fellowship. While working with and managing more than 1500 children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes at the center, he has developed a particular interest and passion for working in Pediatric Diabetes. Most of his recent clinical research is on Pediatric diabetes. He has published more than 60 papers in reputed journals. He has presented several research papers in ISPAD and other national and international meetings in the field. He received the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Visiting Fellowship (2013) to the Endocrinology and Diabetes division at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London.
He has been a regular member of ISPAD since 2011. He received an ISPAD Travel Grant to attend the ISPAD 2017 meeting at Innsbruck, Austria. He is also a regular member of the European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and an Editorial Board member for ESPE’s Newsletter. He has been an executive member of the Indian Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ISPAE) for 2017 &18 and is an Editor of CAPE NEWS (newsletter of ISPAE) for 2019 & 20. He has been instrumental in starting a first-of-its-kind three-year Pediatric Endocrinology training course in India at their center at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Dr. Kumar has also actively advocated and supported families unable to afford optimal treatment of T1D for their kids through charity organizations. He has started CSII service with around 30 patients on continuous CSII therapy with Insulin Pumps. He wishes to establish a state-of-the-art Pediatric Diabetes Centre at his parent Institute, which caters to a large population base of nearly 80 million. He also hopes to upscale the CSII services at his center and improve the use of technology to make the lives of children with T1D easier. The ISPAD’s Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship at the Institute of Endocrinology & Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia, will help him gain experience setting up a state-of-the-art Pediatric Diabetes center at his Institute.
Yasmine Abdelmeguid
Yasmine Abdelmeguid is an assistant lecturer of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetology at the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. She works at Alexandria University Children’s Hospital (AUCH), the main Pediatric hospital in the North Coast Region & one of the largest tertiary referral centers in Egypt. Apart from managing newly diagnosed children with diabetes & DKA patients admitted to the hospital, she works in the diabetes clinic, where an average of 25 diabetic children are under her care each clinic day.
She finished her MBBCh (Excellent with honors) at Alexandria Faculty of Medicine in 2009. She completed her residency program in AUCH in 2014-working in emergency units, general pediatrics, endocrinology, diabetes wards & clinics. Her passion for diabetes started since then. She finished her Master's degree in Pediatrics in 2016.
She is working on her PhD thesis on “Early-onset diabetes mellitus at AUCH,” which includes monogenic forms of diabetes such as neonatal DM and T1DM in infancy. Through her hard work, dedication, and the help of Exeter Medical School, she has contributed to the diagnosis of many monogenic diabetes patients, which has impacted their management and quality of life. She is also responsible for teaching fifth-year medical students, interns, residents, and nurses.
She is a member of ISPAD, ESPE, and ASPED. She has participated in many national and international conferences as a speaker and in case and poster presentations. She has been awarded travel grants to attend the ESPE DOM school 2019, 4th ASPED-ISPAD-Lilly Diabetes Academy 2018, ESPE Winter School 2018, and 4th ASPED-ESPE School 2017. Recently, she has been more focused on research and publication. She has a few international publications. Her recent research concerned LRBA patients in Egypt.
She plans to apply her experience in the fellowship to enhance diabetes care in AUCH by improving diabetes education and starting a multidisciplinary team-based clinic. She intends to make a monogenic diabetes registry in her hospital. She also aims to gain more experience in using technology in diabetes with insulin pumps and CGMs and, eventually, head a separate clinic for them and share this knowledge with the junior staff.
Lastly, Dr. Abdelmeguid is very grateful to ISPAD for awarding her the Allan Drash fellowship. She is really appreciative of the continuous support and opportunities given to advance the field of pediatric diabetes worldwide.