2025 Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship Awardees
Meet our 2025 Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship Awardees! We extend our sincere thanks to Breakthrough T1D for their invaluable support of this program.
📄 Look for the report icon to read about our Fellows’ research and progress.
Aime Manzi
Aime Manzi is a Medical Doctor working as a Physician and Program Coordinator at the Rwanda Diabetes Association. His passion for diabetes care began 17 years ago. As a young boy attending school in a village in Rwanda, he faced a challenging journey after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Initially, he experienced denial and lacked information about the condition. Traditional medicine was sought before finally receiving a proper diagnosis after visiting the city.
Following his diagnosis, Aime faced numerous challenges, including stigma from friends at school and depression. These experiences fueled his drive to change the narrative around diabetes in his community. He began using his voice as a person living with type 1 diabetes to challenge misconceptions and educate fellow patients on proper diabetes care.
Motivated by this mission, Aime pursued medical studies at the University of Rwanda, graduating in 2022 with a Bachelor of General Medicine and Surgery. His lived experience has been a powerful tool in sharing the real truths about diabetes and combating harmful societal views. He has contributed to research and peer-reviewed publications focused on diabetes care.
Aime has actively contributed to type 1 diabetes education and care through his work with Life for a Child, focusing on insulin administration and comprehensive diabetes management education for young people . His efforts empower children living with T1D to manage their condition effectively.
In collaboration with the NCDI Poverty Network, Aime has engaged in the implementation of the PEN-Plus strategy in Rwanda, an innovative care model aimed at improving treatment access for severe non-communicable diseases in vulnerable populations. He played a key role in organizing Rwanda’s first integrated camp under this initiative, which brought together young people living with T1D, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic heart disease, combining health education, peer support, and recreational activities to foster solidarity and address shared challenges.
At the Rwanda Diabetes Association, Aime gained extensive experience leading nationwide diabetes summer camps across all provinces and working with national institutions to develop and update diabetes management protocols. Recently, he was appointed as a JENIOUS ISPAD Ambassador, recognizing his leadership and advocacy.
Through his upcoming fellowship at UCSF, Aime plans to acquire new management skills and learn about innovative technologies in diabetes care. He also aims to build connections with UCSF staff and global diabetes experts to foster collaborations that will advance diabetes care across East Africa.
Albert Kalehezo 📄
Kalehezo Murhabazi Albert is a young medical doctor from the Democratic Republic of Congo, graduated from the Catholic University of Bukavu (academic year 2022–2023).
During his internship in several public and private hospitals in South Kivu, he was alarmed by the very high mortality rate of diabetes among children and young people, due to the absence of an operational diabetes care program and the ongoing conflict in the region.
Driven by the urgent need to reduce this mortality, he pursued further training in diabetology: through the IDF course for general practitioners, an internship at the Rwanda Diabetes Association, the ISPAD mentorship program with Life for a Child, and continuous self-training based on ISPAD guidelines.
In November 2024, Kalehezo founded the Kivu Diabetes Center, a specialized medical facility dedicated to diabetes care, with a particular focus on children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, who are treated free of charge.
As a researcher, young physician, and musician, he combines his skills to make therapeutic education accessible to all, particularly in conflict-affected and resource-limited regions, through music, a WhatsApp support group, and educational video publications.
Kalehezo also serves as an advocacy partner at T1International, a civil society organization advocating for global access to insulin, and he is an active member of the Société Francophone du Diabète.
Known as Dr. Edjo, he strongly believes in a Congo where no child should die because of diabetes, and he is actively working to implement a sustainable and effective diabetes care program in his region.
He dedicates the Allan Drash Fellowship to the memory of the many innocent children who lost their lives to diabetes due to lack of access to insulin and appropriate care.
Archana Nepal 📄
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Dr. Archana Nepal is an accomplished pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), where she has been serving since 2017. With a distinguished academic background, she earned her MD in Pediatrics from Kathmandu University in 2015 and completed her MBBS from the same institution in 2009.
Dr. Nepal Bhattarai's expertise extends across multiple domains of pediatrics. She plays a pivotal role in teaching and mentoring both MBBS and MD students at PAHS, where she also serves as the Interns’ Coordinator. Her clinical focus includes running the Endocrinology Clinic, particularly for children with diabetes, where she coordinates the "Life for a Child" program. She also contributes to general pediatric care and is an attending physician at the Neonatal intensive care Unit at Patan Hospital.
Her research endeavors focus on diabetes in children and adolescents. She has completed her research funded by MQ Mental Health that explores the early symptoms of depression in children adolescent and young adults.
Dr. Nepal’s commitment to pediatric healthcare has been recognized with accolades, including the breakthrough Type 1 diabetes fellowship award for continuing her research on “The impact of diabetic educator on the management of Type 1 diabetes” the SIMCA Best Paper Award at the Nepal Pediatric Society Conference. She is an active member of numerous professional organizations, such as the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and the Nepal Pediatric Society.
Arpita Bhriguvanshi
Dr. Arpita Bhriguvanshi is an Additional Professor of Pediatrics at King George's Medical University in Lucknow, India. She leads the Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic and serves as Nodal Officer of the Centre of Excellence for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Her guiding promise is simple and firm. Every child deserves excellent diabetes care, even when resources are scarce.
After completing her MD in Pediatrics at KGMU from 2010 to 2013, she broadened her research outlook at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center through the Nurturing Children's Development Fellowship from 2018 to 2019, supported by a grant of USD 10,000. A defining turn came in 2021 when a dedicated Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic was set up at KGMU, and she was asked to lead it. What began mid-career as a responsibility quickly became a calling in pediatric diabetes, and she trained further through a Fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology from 2022 to 2024 under the mentorship of Dr. Anurag Bajpai, who has since remained her lifelong mentor.
On 10 February 2023, a public-private Centre of Excellence for Type 1 Diabetes was established at KGMU through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Novo Nordisk Education Foundation, a partnership she worked hard to secure and lead. With a two-member team, Dr. Bhriguvanshi and a diabetes educator now provide comprehensive, continuous care for more than 160 children and adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes. Because diabetes care in India is primarily out of pocket, she partners with NGOs and state and national schemes to obtain free insulin and essential supplies, and she organizes regular CMEs, workshops, and diabetes camps for families and physicians. She was awarded the KGMU Meritorious Intramural Research Grant for 2021 to 2022 to support pediatric diabetes research.
Her academic trajectory accelerated in 2024. She was selected for the ISPAD Science School for Physicians in Pittsburgh, earned places in the highly prestigious and competitive ESPE Summer School 2024 and the highly selective ESPE Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism School 2024 in Liverpool, and presented pediatric diabetes research at the 50th ISPAD Annual Conference in Lisbon in 2024 and the 62nd ESPE Congress in Liverpool in 2024. Meeting outstanding faculty and peers in these programs and presenting on international platforms sharpened her vision and ignited her goal in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes even further. Engaging directly with leaders in the field was a life-changing experience that deepened her resolve to build high-impact, resource-conscious care at home. She received ESPE and ISPAD travel grants in 2024, serves on the editorial board of CAPE News, the newsletter of the Indian Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ISPAE), and is a coauthor of the chapter Neonatal Hypoglycemia in Pediatric Endocrinology Protocols.
Later in 2024, she received the ESPE Clinical Fellowship at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh, training with Dr Tarini Chetty and Dr Rod Mitchell. The fellowship broadened her global experience across diverse pediatric endocrine conditions. It deepened practical exposure to continuous glucose monitoring and the range of insulin pumps widely used in the United Kingdom within multidisciplinary models of care.
Dr. Bhriguvanshi is an Allan Drash Fellowship 2025 awardee and will train at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, United States. Her area of interest is delivering high-quality diabetes care with minimal resources, and her goal is clear and urgent—universal access to insulin and modern therapies for every child with diabetes.
Edna S. Majaliwa 📄
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Dr. Edna S. Majaliwa Paediatric Endocrinologist | Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania
Dr. Edna Siima Majaliwa, MBChB, MMED, PhD, is a highly accomplished Tanzanian pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist based at Muhimbili National Hospital. She also works at Muhimbili University of health and Allied sciences where she serves as a senior honorary lecturer. She has had leadership roles including Head of the Neonatal Unit at Muhimbili National Hospital (2009–2019). She holds a PhD in pediatric endocrinology, focusing on long-term outcomes of youth with type 1 diabetes in Tanzania.
Dr. Majaliwa is one of the pioneers of the first pediatric diabetes clinic in Tanzania, established at Muhimbili National Hospital. Her leadership in this initiative has significantly improved access to specialized diabetes care for children and adolescents, and laid the groundwork for expanding pediatric endocrine services nationwide.
She has played a pivotal role in pediatric diabetes care, research, and education both nationally and internationally. She has led and participated in numerous externally and locally funded research projects, such as human-1 study: a trial looking at the differences in the use of an analogue and human insulin. She also serves as a Co- Principal Investigator (Co-PI) and mentor for the first Pen Plus clinics in Tanzania, which aim to improve specialized care for non-communicable diseases in resource-limited settings. Her work has resulted in over 20 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, with contributions to ISPAD guidelines and global educational resources for pediatric endocrinology.
She has represented Tanzania on international platforms, delivering scientific presentations at major conferences including ISPAD, IDF, and ASPAE. She has contributed to three book chapters on childhood diabetes and HIV, further demonstrating her expertise and commitment to global health.
She is an active member of several professional societies—including ISPAD, the African Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology, and the Medical Women’s Association of Tanzania Dr. Majaliwa’s work exemplifies leadership, practitioner, Mentorship and a deep commitment to improving pediatric endocrine care specifically diabetes across Africa.
Dr. Majaliwa is actively engaged in mentoring, teaching, and capacity building. She has trained numerous medical students and pediatric residents. She is enthusiastic that the Allan Drash Fellowship in this time of her carrier will be a learning and an additional experience hence translating the learning into meaningful improvements into her home country, and of course more collaboration with the host centre and other ISPAD centers.
Fikir Messeret Adinew
Dr. Fikir Messeret Adinew
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, Pediatric Endocrinologist
Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Dr. Fikir Messeret is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health and one of only four pediatric endocrinologists serving Ethiopia’s population of over 135 million. She earned her certification in Pediatric Endocrinology in 2018 through the Pediatric Endocrinology Training Center for Africa (PETCA) in Nairobi, Kenya, motivated by the urgent need to improve diabetes and endocrine care for children in her country.
She is the clinical lead of the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit at Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, where she has played a central role in establishing specialized services for children with diabetes and other endocrine disorders. Under her leadership, the unit has grown into a critical center of care, offering diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management for a previously underserved patient population.
In addition to her clinical leadership, Dr. Fikir is actively involved in medical education, teaching undergraduate medical students and supervising pediatric residents at Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College. Her research focuses on childhood diabetes, particularly its complications, with the aim of generating locally relevant evidence to inform and improve care in resource-limited settings. Through international collaborations, she works to bring scientific visibility to Ethiopia’s underrepresented population of children with diabetes.
An active ISPAD member since 2019, Dr. Fikir has presented her work on diabetic kidney disease at the ISPAD Science School for Physicians (Hannover, 2025) and shared a clinical case at the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism School (Liverpool, 2024). She is also a member of the Ethiopian Pediatric Society and a founding member of the Society of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes of Ethiopia (SEME), contributing regularly to national conferences and CME programs.
Dr. Fikir is deeply grateful for her current fellowship opportunity, which she views as a vital step toward her goal of advancing the quality of care for children with diabetes in Ethiopia. She is confident that the experience will update her clinical expertise and foster meaningful international collaborations that will directly benefit her patients and community.
Jaivinder Yadav
Dr. Jaivinder Yadav graduated from the prestigious Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, in 2006 and completed his postgraduate training in Pediatrics from the same institute in 2011. He subsequently pursued senior residency at AIIMS, New Delhi, where he received his first exposure to pediatric diabetes and endocrinology, sparking a deep interest in type 1 diabetes. He later returned to Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, as faculty, where he established the Endocrine Diabetes Clinic and served for two years.
In 2017, Dr. Yadav joined the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh—a premier tertiary care center in northern India—where he currently serves as Additional Professor in the Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Department of Pediatrics. The center provides care to a population of nearly 80 million and manages over 2,000 patients with type 1 diabetes, neonatal diabetes, and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Yadav has an extensive research portfolio in pediatric diabetes, with over 70 peer-reviewed publications and six book chapters, and has presented his work at numerous national and international forums. He has been an active member of ISPAD since 2018 and currently serves as Treasurer (2025–2026) of the Indian Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ISPAE), where he also served as an Executive Committee Member (2023–2024). He played a key role as a core organising member of the ISPAE–ISPAD 2022 meeting in Chandigarh, India and served as Treasurer for the APPES 2024 conference at Delhi, India.
His primary research interest lies in diabetes management in preschool children, a particularly challenging age group due to erratic feeding habits and physical activity. The Allan Drash Fellowship will support his efforts to establish state-of-the-art diabetes facilities at his center and further advance pediatric diabetes care in the region.
Patrick Okema
Okema Patrick is a Ugandan diabetes nurse educator, researcher, Type 1 diabetes (T1D) advocate, peer educator, ISPAD-Jenious member since 2022, and a proud dedoc° voice. With more than 13 years of lived experience with T1D, his personal journey fuels his determination to improve pediatric diabetes care across Africa through education, advocacy, and community engagement.
Born in Gulu, northern Uganda, Patrick trained as a nurse at Gulu Institute of Health Science, earning a Diploma in Nursing. He later graduated from the Pediatric Diabetes Nurse Educator Course for Africa (ADECA) in 2023, supported by ISPAD in Dar es Salaam - Tanzania, further strengthening his capacity to deliver specialized care and education to children living with diabetes.
In October 2024, he was selected as one of only 15 recipients of the ISPAD Research Scholarship at the 20th ISPAD Science School for Healthcare Professionals in Portugal. His research, 'Insulin Storage in Low Resource Settings; Effects on HbA1C,' seeks to provide evidence-based insights into safe and sustainable insulin storage options that protect potency and improve care outcomes.
As a Diabetes Nurse Educator with the Sonia Nabeta Foundation (SNF), Okema plays a vital role in empowering children living with Type 1 diabetes whom SNF affectionately calls “warriors.” He supports holistic wellness camps across Uganda that integrate medical care with psychosocial support, education and peer mentorship. His responsibilities include leading diabetes education sessions, facilitating group counseling, monitoring glycemic control, and mentoring young warriors to build resilience and self-management skills. Through SNF’s community-based model, Okema helps bridge the gap between clinical care and lived experience, ensuring that children with T1D across Africa have the tools and support to thrive.
Mr. Okema also serves as part of a team of nurses providing emergency care at SNF’s type 1 diabetes camps in Africa, like camps in Uganda, Malawi, Ghana and South Africa, responsible for administering first aid care to patients experiencing hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, monitoring and correcting night-time blood glucose levels and the overall well-being and quality of care for over 90 patients attending camp(s). He has been awarded several certificates of excellence for his work.
As a 2025 Allan Drash Fellow, he is committed to translating global expertise from the host center into Uganda’s pediatric diabetes care landscape by advancing clinical practice, learning advanced research methodologies, strengthening advocacy and building regional capacity for equitable and informed care
Preeti Singh
Dr. Preeti Singh is a distinguished pediatrician, academician, and researcher, currently serving as Faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India. In this role, she provides comprehensive clinical care for children with diabetes and endocrine disorders while mentoring undergraduate and postgraduate trainees in pediatrics and endocrinology.
With over a decade of professional experience in integrating patient care, teaching, and research, Dr. Singh has consistently dedicated her career to advancing pediatric endocrinology, with a deep focus on type 1 diabetes. Her research spans diverse critical aspects of pediatric diabetes, including comorbidities, long-term complications, nutritional adherence, gaps in caregivers’ knowledge and skills, and the challenging transition of care from adolescence to adulthood in lower-middle-income settings. In a collaborative multicenter study, she co-authored work that defined the clinical spectrum of islet antibody–negative type 1 diabetes in Indian children and revealed a high prevalence of recessive WFS1 mutations. These contributions have substantially advanced clinical and genetic insights into pediatric diabetes in India.
In addition to her clinical and research work, Dr. Singh has demonstrated exceptional leadership and teamwork in developing innovative educational programs that enhance pediatric diabetes care in resource-limited settings. She is a key member of the core committee for the IDEAL (ISPAE Diabetes Education and Learning) Program, a pioneering virtual training platform for diabetes educators that was honoured with the ISPAD Prize for Innovation in Pediatric Diabetes Care (2023). She has played an integral role in designing and implementing the BEST (Basic Education Series in Type 1 Diabetes) initiative, which aims to empower frontline healthcare providers, and the IDEAS (Initiative for Diabetes Education and Awareness in Schools) program, designed to prepare school personnel to support children and adolescents living with diabetes. These initiatives reflect her vision of scalable, community-centred, and sustainable models of diabetes education. Dr. Singh’s collaborative research has been showcased at prestigious forums, including the ISPAD Annual Scientific Meetings, APPES, and the ESPE. Her professional roles include serving on the Executive Board of ISPAE (2017-18, 2021-22) and actively participating in global networks like ISPAD, APPES, and ESPE.
The Allan Drash Fellowship 2025 marks a milestone in Dr. Singh’s career, honouring her exemplary contributions to clinical care, impactful research, and innovative educational strategies in pediatric diabetes. Through this recognition, she is poised to further advance her work in India and other low- and middle-income countries, with the overarching goal of improving outcomes and quality of life for children with diabetes worldwide.
Sapna Manjunath 📄
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Sapna Manjunath, 2025 Allan Drash Fellow
Sapna Manjunath is a Clinical and Translational Research Scientist, Senior Diabetes Educator, Counselor, Physician Assistant, and Faculty at the Samatvam Endocrinology Diabetes Center and the Samatvam: Science and Research for Human Welfare Trust in Bangalore, India. With over a decade of experience dedicated to pediatric diabetes care, Sapna is deeply committed to improving outcomes for children and adolescents living with diabetes, particularly in resource-limited settings.
Sapna’s academic foundation includes degrees in Microbiology, Hospital Administration, and Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a Certified Diabetes Educator and Physician Assistant with specialized training in insulin pump therapy, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and automated insulin delivery systems. She has undergone rigorous clinical research training through national and international programs, including collaborations with the Duke Clinical Research Institute and the University of Oxford.
Sapna’s professional journey is marked by a strong focus on high-risk Type 1 diabetes care, diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes, and the power of preventive strategies. Her research and publications span original scientific articles, book chapters, and numerous conference abstracts presented at global forums such as the World Diabetes Congress, International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), and the International Congress of Endocrinology.
She has co-authored pioneering work on nanotechnology-based diagnostics, syndromic diabetes, and psychosocial aspects of diabetes care, and contributed to community health initiatives including the DISHA DOSTI Free Diabetes Clinic, IDF’s Life for a Child, and Changing Diabetes in Children programs. Sapna also serves as a volunteer educator and counselor in insulin pump and artificial pancreas clinics, promoting equitable access to advanced diabetes technologies.
Sapna’s selection as a 2025 recipient of the Allan Drash Fellowship by ISPAD recognizes her lifelong commitment to evidence-based, compassionate care and her drive to empower families and young people with diabetes. Through this fellowship, she aims to deepen her expertise in pediatric diabetes and bring innovative, context-sensitive solutions to underserved communities in India and beyond.