2025 Breakthrough T1D Fellowship Awardees
Meet our 2025 ISPAD-Breakthrough T1D Research Fellowship Awardees!
We extend our sincere thanks to Breakthrough T1D for their invaluable support of this program.
π Look for the report icon to read about our Fellows’ research and progress.
Jennifer Warnick π
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Jennifer Warnick, PhD, is an Assistant Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a Research Scientist at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at Brown University Health in the United States. Dr. Warnick earned her PhD in pediatric psychology from the University of Florida and completed an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular behavioral medicine at Brown Medical School. Her research focuses on improving the mental and physical health of youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes, with particular emphasis on eating disorders and cardiovascular disease prevention.
Bruno Bombaci π
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Dr. Bruno Bombaci is a pediatrician and PhD fellow at the University of Messina, Italy. His clinical and research career is dedicated to pediatric diabetes, with a particular focus on diabetes technologies in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
He completed his Pediatrics Residency at the University of Messina, where his thesis introduced novel insights on the “time in tight range” metric (70-140 mg/dL) for glucose control assessment. He has co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, including Diabetes Care, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism, and Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics.
His academic training includes a clinical fellowship in pediatric diabetes at the University Children’s Hospital in Ljubljana, and participation in the 2024 ISPAD Science School for Physicians in Pittsburgh. He is also actively engaged in international collaborations through the Italian Pediatric Diabetes Study Group and the ISPAD JENIOUS network, where he serves as 2025 JENIOUS Ambassador. Beyond his clinical and academic work, Dr. Bombaci contributes to the scientific community as editor and reviewer for multiple international journals in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes.
As recipient of the 2025 ISPAD-Breakthrough T1D Research Fellowship, he is leading a randomized controlled trial on the use of time in tight range as a primary glycemic target in children and adolescents using AID systems, with the aim of refining treatment strategies and advancing CGM-based clinical guidelines.
Juan Pablo PΓ©rez Bedoya π
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Juan Pablo Pérez Bedoya is a laboratory scientist with a Master’s degree in Epidemiology and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Antioquia (Medellín, Colombia), under the supervision of Professor Paula Andrea Díaz Valencia. His research focuses on the epidemiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus and its exposomic determinants, applying advanced methods such as capture–recapture models, time-series analysis, spatial epidemiology, and age–period–cohort modeling within a causal inference framework.
He is the principal investigator of the STEP-T1D Study (Spatiotemporal Trends in the Epidemiological Profile of Type 1 Diabetes), supported by the ISPAD–Breakthrough T1D Research Fellowship. This project aims to analyze temporal and geospatial trends in type 1 diabetes in the metropolitan area of the Aburrá Valley (Colombia) over the past two decades, generating novel evidence on the spatiotemporal dynamics of the disease in Latin American contexts and contributing to the global understanding of its epidemiology.
Juan Pablo is the founder and coordinator of the Type 1 Diabetes Epidemiology Study Group (EpiDiab-T1D) and a member of the Epidemiology Research Group at the University of Antioquia. He is also part of the International Epidemiological Association (IEA), the Americas’ Network for Chronic Disease Surveillance (AMNET), and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD). His collaborative work includes participation in the Repository for the Surveillance of Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases in Colombia, the Caribbean and the Americas (ReFrECA), the UnCoVer project (Unravelling Data for Rapid Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19), initiatives on health education in diabetes, and partnerships with the Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus.
His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at leading international conferences such as ISPAD, EDEG, IDEG, IDF, and AMNET, where he has received awards for the quality and impact of his work. He participated as an early-career researcher in the International Meeting on Type 1 Diabetes: Advancing a Global Road Map for Improved and Integrated Care in Low-Resource Settings, and is an alumnus of the Cambridge Seminar on the Epidemiological and Public Health Aspects of Diabetes Mellitus (University of Cambridge) and the DZD Diabetes Research School (German Center for Diabetes Research).
He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Biostatistics and Consultant in Epidemiology, integrating teaching, research, and international collaboration in diabetes epidemiology. His work reflects a strong commitment to scientific rigor and global cooperation, aimed at advancing equity and improving outcomes for people living with type 1 diabetes.
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Mahira Saiyed π
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Dr. Mahira Saiyed, MPH, brings over a decade of experience as an Associate at Diacare, where she has worked passionately as a researcher and diabetes educator, closely supporting children and families living with Type 1 diabetes. She also serves as Project Coordinator for the Changing Diabetes in Children programme and the Life for a Child initiative, playing a key role in enhancing access to care, research, and education. In addition, Mahira contributes as a peer reviewer and rapporteur for the SWEET Project, serves on the ATTD Early Education Committee, and is the Communication Director for the ADA Public Health and Epidemiology Interest Group.
She participated in the ISPAD Science School 2023, where her work focused on exploring the school experiences of children living with Type 1 diabetes in India. She was one of the member of the Scientific Committee for ISPAD Annual Conference 2024, and the recipient of prestigious ISPAD Allan Drash Clinical Fellowship, where she was trained under Dr. Priya Prahalad at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University. Through the various opportunities provided by ISPAD she has gained knowledge and strengthen her ability to contribute efficiently. Beyond her professional commitments, Mahira has actively supported T1D peer-support opportunities, including volunteering two young T1D girls from India at the 24th Al Bawasil Camp for children with diabetes organized by the Qatar Diabetes Association.
In recent years, her research efforts have been dedicated to a crossover study comparing continuous glucose monitoring with capillary glucose monitoring in children and adolescent with T1D. With the support of the ISPAD Breakthrough T1D Research Fellowship, she aims to adapt and implement a Stanford-developed T1D care model, envisioning its application to enhance diabetes care in her region.
Nanna Lind
Dr Nanna Lind is a postdoctoral researcher and clinical nurse specialist at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, working in Diabetes Technology Research Unit and the Pediatric and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic. Her background spans more than 15 years combining scientific rigor with patient-centered care.
Her professional focus is individuals and families living with diabetes, with expertise in diabetes care, clinical research, project management, and quality improvement. Dr Lind is working ambitiously with a clear focus on researching in an area that benefits those living with diabetes and solves some of the challenges they have. Her prior research contributions reflect a sustained commitment to improving diabetes care across the lifespan through both clinical innovation and patient-centered approaches.
Dr Lind defended her PhD at the University of Copenhagen in 2024. As primary investigator of the Steno2tech randomized controlled trial, she explored the 12-month (glycemic, metabolic and participant-reported) effects of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) compared to blood glucose monitoring in adults with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes. She also studied structural diabetes education and peer support as strategies to improve outcomes and engagement in CGM use. Her portfolio also includes different clinical trials involving children, adolescents, and adults, contributing to advancing the understanding of diabetes device usability, automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, and the psychosocial wellbeing of children or young people with type 1 diabetes and their families, as well as contributing to studies on glycemic variability in pregnancy, cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in type 1 diabetes, and disparities in diabetes care among individuals with severe mental illness. Her research outputs include several publications, book chapters and oral presentations.
Dr Lind has a longstanding background as a diabetes nurse and educator. She has designed and delivered numerous education programs for patients, families, and health care professionals, with a strong emphasis on empowerment and health literacy. Her experience in clinical practice continues to inform her research, ensuring that interventions are both evidence-based and feasible in real-world settings.
Dr Linds overarching ambition is improving quality in diabetes care with sustainable, patient-centered solutions that improve life with diabetes, and by bridging the gap between research and clinical practice.
Elif Eviz
Dr. Elif Eviz was born in Batman, Türkiye. After completing her primary and high school education in Batman, she graduated from Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine in 2012. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Health Sciences BakΔ±rköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital in 2018 and pediatric endocrinology fellowship at Koç University Faculty of Medicine in 2023. She has been working as a pediatric endocrinologist in Sanliurfa Eyyubiye Training and Research Hospital since October of 2023.
Dr Eviz is a member of ISPAD, ESPE and Turkish Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes. In 2022, she was awarded the ISPAD Allan Drash Fellowship and went to the University of Colorado, Barbara Davis Diabetes Center as an observer. Currently, in addition to seeing patients daily as an active clinician, she serves as the Social Media & Comm. lead for ESPE eLearning Committee. In addition, she serves as the representative of early career members for the Turkish Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and actively participates in the team that organizes the social media accounts of this association. She has also been working as an associate editor at the Journal of Clinical Diabetology since June 2024.
She has attended national and international conferences and has presented many posters and did oral presentations. She attended ESPE Winter School, Summer School and DOM School. She was awarded the BreaktroughT1D research grant with her research project titled “The effect of SC insulin glargine administration before IV treatment on the resolution of acidosis in children with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)” which she presented at ISPAD Science School in 2025.
Salwa A. Musa π
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Salwa A. Musa is a Sudanese pediatric endocrinologist dedicated to advancing diabetes and endocrine care for children, particularly in resource-limited and humanitarian settings. She completed her pediatric residency in 2015, graduating top of her class with the Best Academic Performance Award, and obtained her MRCPCH in 2017. She later joined the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE)–Pan African Fellowship Program (PETCA), graduating with distinction in 2018.
Dr. Musa has served at Gaafar Ibn Auf Pediatric Hospital and the Sudan Childhood Diabetes Center, the country’s main tertiary centers for pediatric endocrinology and diabetes. She is an assistant professor at Al-Neelain University, Sudan. She has also contributed extensively to postgraduate education, and she is the chair of the Training Committee in the Sudan Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program.
Since 2018, she has been appointed by the Sudan Childhood Diabetes Association (SCDA) as the National Pediatric Diabetes Clinics Supervisor, overseeing more than 25 diabetes clinics across Sudan serving over 11,000 children, ensuring service delivery, insulin supply, and ongoing professional training. She is also the Life for a Child (LFAC) program coordinator in Sudan.
When the Sudan conflict erupted in April 2023, Dr. Musa’s role expanded to lead national and international coordination efforts, working closely with local and international humanitarian partners to secure insulin and essential medical supplies for children with diabetes. Her emergency response initiatives included remote coordination, regular daily contact with clinics’ personnel and policy makers, family home-management strategies, and capacity-building for healthcare workers' efforts that directly saved countless young lives. Through advocacy, training, and resilience of her team and partners, care for children with diabetes was continuously maintained amid extreme disruption.
Beyond her clinical leadership, she is an active researcher and advocate. She is a member of the National Research and Ethics Committee at the FMOH, Sudan, and leads or contributes to multiple regional and international research activities and initiatives on pediatric endocrine and diabetes.
Dr. Musa holds several leadership roles, including General Secretary of the Sudan Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (SSPED), Sudan representative, member of the research committee, and Deputy Chair of the Education Committee in the Arab Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (ASPED). She also leads the African Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ASPAE) DSD/CAH Focus Group and serves as ASPAE's representative on the I-SDM steering committee.
Dr. Musa aspires to advance her leadership in pediatric endocrinology, focusing on diabetes and endocrine care in low-resource and crisis settings. Receiving the ISPAD–Breakthrough T1D Research Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to transform this vision into impactful research, giving voice to children with diabetes and healthcare teams delivering care under fire.