Month: April 2026

The Breakthrough T1D Canucks For Kids Fund Centre of Excellence at the University of British Columbia launches new podcast for the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community

The Breakthrough T1D Canucks For Kids Fund Centre of Excellence at the University of British Columbia (Centre of Excellence) unites the expertise of global research leaders and partnerships in industry, health care, government, and academia towards a singular goal: curing T1D. The Centre creates an environment for sustained multidisciplinary collaboration between three key sites – UBC’s Life Sciences Institute, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHRI), and Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) – allowing for rapid progress and efficient translation of discoveries in the lab to clinical solutions for people living with T1D.

Part of their work also focuses on knowledge translation and supporting lived experience, including The Breakthrough T1D Canucks For Kids Fund Centre of Excellence at UBC T1D Lived Advisory Group which has a key role at Centre outreach events and enabling dialogue between researchers and people living with T1D.

To augment this and launched in early 2026, the Centre of Excellence teamed up with BC Diabetes Research Network’s (BCDRN) popular podcast From Beta Cells to Bicycles for a special series dedicated to the Centre of Excellence. From Beta Cells to Bicycles is a series focusing on research, community engagement, and collaboration.

Streamed on Simplecast, each episode features a brief introduction by Krista Lamb, science communicator. Krista specializes in turning complex medical science into compelling stories that will help listeners and readers understand why this science truly matters in their lives.

“We are thrilled to share with the public, and especially those with lived experience with T1D, some of the exciting research activities and advances going on in the Breakthrough T1D Canucks for Kids Fund Centre of Excellence at UBC. The Centre has become a hub of excellence in T1D research, training, and knowledge sharing. We learn much through our interaction with persons with lived experience and the insight that they share, and hope this podcast captures for you the promise and challenges of T1D research going on in the Centre, as we work hard towards the development of new cell, gene, and molecular therapies for persons living with and at risk for T1D,” says Dr. Bruce Vechere, one of the Centre of Excellence’s co-research leads.

Content and Episode Themes 
Five episodes have been released, each centered on key themes:

• Episode 1: Co-Leadership in Research—discussing shared leadership models with Drs. Megan Levings and Bruce Verchere, focusing on partnership, team synergy, and the Centre of Excellence’s collaborative approach to developing insulin protection strategies.
• Episode 2: Voices of Experience—exploring meaningful engagement and co-design with diverse voices in health research, featuring guests Lindsay Pallo, Ben, Ramya, Beth.
• Episode 3: From Lab to Life—highlighting translational work by Drs. Francis Lynn and James Johnson on cellular therapies for T1D, emphasizing outreach, fundraising, and public benefit.
• Episode 4: Navigating Translation—addressing balancing innovation and ethics in research translation, with insights from Drs. Megan Levings and Timothy Kieffer.
• Episode 5: Research Reflections—featuring Breakthrough T1D Canada’s Chief Scientific Officer and President and CEO, Dr. Sarah Linklater and Jessica Diniz reflecting on lessons learned from participatory and team-based research, and future directions for the Centre of Excellence, and stem cell cure-based research in Canada, and globally.

In their episode of From Beta Cells to Bicycles, Sarah and Jessica explain why Breakthrough T1D Canada invests in team‑based, multidisciplinary research rather than in individual labs, as progress in T1D research requires collaboration across beta cell biology, immunology, bioengineering, and clinical translation research. The Centre of Excellence model provides sustained, flexible funding that helps to mitigate the ‘stop‑start’ nature of traditional individual grants and helps research teams move discoveries more quickly from the lab toward real‑world impact.

The discussion also explores the lessons learned since the Centre of Excellence’s launch, including the importance of strong partnerships, meaningful engagement with people with T1D lived experience, and training the next generation of researchers.

They also discussed promising advances in disease‑modifying therapies, like Tzield, while cautioning against unrealistic timelines and stressing the need to pair scientific breakthroughs with advocacy for equitable diabetes device access and coverage.

The episode concludes with optimism about the future of Canadian T1D research, the work of the Breakthrough T1D Canucks for Kids Fund Centre of Excellence, and a shared belief that the future will offer multiple therapeutic options tailored to the diverse needs of people living with type 1 diabetes.

We thank Breakthrough T1D Canucks for Kids Fund Centre of Excellence for allowing us to be guests on From Beta Cells to Bicycles.

Listen to all five episodes here: https://diabetes-from-beta-cells-to-bicycles.simplecast.com/ 

For the first time in Canada, Tzield (teplizumab) has been administered to children* – two  patients at BC Children’s Hospital with early-stage type 1 diabetes (T1D).

This milestone matters because it shows real progress toward something the T1D community has waited decades to see – treatments that can change the course of the disease, not just manage it.

Tzield is designed to delay progression of T1D in people who show early signs of the disease but do not yet need insulin. Clinical studies show it can delay the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes by a median of about two years in eligible adults and children.

For families, that time matters. It can mean fewer medical emergencies and more time to prepare for what comes next.

Further promising news out of the United States is that the FDA has approved Tzield for children aged one year and above with stage 2 T1D. In Canada, Tzield is currently approved for age 8 and above. You can read Sanofi’s press release here.

Why this matters beyond two patients

The fact that Tzield has now been given to children in Canada is an encouraging sign that more people are beginning to benefit from the first disease‑modifying therapy for T1D. While access remains limited, it signals a shift toward earlier action – before insulin is needed – rather than waiting for diagnosis.

A small number of adults have already received the drug since it was approved by Health Canada in 2025. What’s new – and meaningful – is that children are now beginning to benefit as well.

How can Canadians benefit from Tzield?

To be eligible for Tzield, one has to be identified through screening as having early stage T1D. Screening for T1D identifies the presence of certain autoantibodies, which can mean someone is at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

In Canada, family members of someone with type 1 diabetes can be screened through TrialNet (for first- and second-degree relatives anywhere in Canada) and by FEDERATE-Can (for first-degree relatives in Quebec). However, only 10-15% of newly diagnosed individuals have a family history, so familial screening alone will miss over 85% of new cases.

Those without a first or second degree relative with T1D can discuss www.uncovert1d.ca with their healthcare providers for more options.

Although approved as a therapy by Health Canada, in January Canada’s Drug Agency has announced a recommendation not to reimburse Tzield.

Breakthrough T1D Canada will continue to invest in early-detection research and advocate for better access to screening and disease-modifying treatments.

*The medication teplizumab was provided by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi as part of their patient support program.

Why they matter beyond a type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most serious, life‑threatening complications associated with T1D—yet it’s often associated with diagnosis and misunderstood and underrecognized among both people living with the disease and some healthcare providers. 

The good news is: armed with proper knowledge, DKA is largely preventable.  

What are diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and ketones? 

DKA starts because of a lack of insulin in the body – this is why it’s so often present at diagnosis, particularly in children. When a body doesn’t have enough insulin to allow cells to use glucose for energy, it turns to fat instead. This breakdown of fat produces ketones – acids that accumulate in the bloodstream. 

When ketone levels are too high, these acids rise and blood becomes acidic, leading to DKA. Once this process begins, it can escalate quickly and requires immediate attention. If not addressed, DKA will become a medical crisis that can result in further complications, and even death. 

Fortunately, DKA does not typically present without warning. Part of T1D management is blood glucose testing, and testing for ketones should become standard when glucose is trending high. 

If someone with T1D feels sick or unwell, they should also test ketone levels, particularly if blood glucose levels are higher than normal. Ensure there are always unexpired ketone strips on hand, and check for ketone levels whenever blood glucose levels rise above 14.0 mmol/L. 

Note that DKA doesn’t only happen when blood glucose is high. DKA can also occur even when glucose levels are normal or only mildly elevated. This is particularly true for people taking certain SGLT‑inhibitor medications as an adjunct therapy, or following very low‑carbohydrate diets. 

When ketones are present, timely action can prevent dangerous progression. Ensure that you or your child keeps well-hydrated, take additional insulin correction doses as needed and monitor ketone levels every two hours to prevent elevated ketones from becoming DKA. But if symptoms worsen or ketones rise above 3.0 mmol/L, it is essential to immediately seek medical attention.  

Click HERE to download this infographic and print and post in a common area in your home.

Infographic is provided courtesy of Dr. Bruce Perkins (Lunenfeld–Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health) and collaborators.

Why awareness is so important 

Awareness of DKA, not just among the T1D community and healthcare professionals, but also the general public is a key tool to mitigating its incidence. And although DKA is more commonly thought to be an issue at diagnosis, the reality is that anyone with T1D is at risk, regardless of age and how long they’ve had T1D or how they manage it. And when it isn’t recognized early and addressed with urgency, it can become a medical crisis – a point at which it’s harder for the person with T1D to advocate for themselves. 

This underscores why better DKA awareness among not only the T1D community, but the public at large is so important. The right education and resources, access to tools, and consistent messaging can help to mitigate DKA risk in people living with T1D.  

Breakthrough T1D Canada, with support from Abbott, has launched a DKA and ketones awareness campaign to help achieve this.  

Preventing DKA includes having conversations about ketones, even if they can be scary and uncomfortable.  

And we want to hear from you:

We are looking for stories from our T1D community about your experience with ketones and DKA.   

• Tell us about a time you, or a loved one, experienced DKA 

• How do you incorporate monitoring ketones into your management of T1D? 

• What symptoms do you feel when your ketones are high? 

Abbott will provide a donation to Breakthrough T1D for every story submitted, and your story may be included in a future blog post. 

Click HERE to share

Turning your experiences into real action 

With your help, we will turn stories into awareness and action. This means reinforcing early ketone testing when symptoms are present, and more importantly, ensuring equitable access to diabetes devices and supplies like ketone strips and any future monitoring technologies.  

Experiencing DKA when living with T1D is a preventable outcome with the right understanding, awareness and tools. 

And listening to the stories of people who have been there will help everyone better recognize the early warning signs of DKA – and can help save lives. 

National Volunteer Week takes place from April 19 – April 25, 2026, as organizations across Canada take time to honour the volunteers who generously donate their time and talents to their communities and to causes meaningful to them. 

This year is particularly special as it’s International Volunteer Year, a year-long, nation-building celebration that provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to recognize the incredible grassroots power of civic participation, further support Canada’s culture of volunteering, and celebrate volunteer stories.

The theme for International Volunteer Year is Ignite Volunteerism and asks us to inspire Canadians to reconnect with their communities through acts of service, community action, and reciprocal support. The Ignite Volunteerism campaign will serve as a celebration of Canada’s volunteers while inspiring a new generation of participation—creating a stronger, more resilient, and inclusive Canada for everyone.

This couldn’t be timelier for Breakthrough T1D Canada, and organization that has its foundation in grassroots volunteering and organizing, brought together by parents from across the country desperate to raise awareness and the profile of type 1 diabetes (T1D), and support research into cures.

Since 2022, it has been our honour and privilege to celebrate our amazing volunteers and their support of the T1D community through our Annual Volunteer Awards.

These Awards recognize individuals, volunteer committees and corporate organizations who have demonstrated incredible commitment and have put their heart and soul into supporting our collective mission of a world without T1D.

Congratulations to all our winners. You are the true spirit of Breakthrough T1D Canada, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Our volunteers are the foundation of everything we do, and we are thrilled to share with you the 2025 Breakthrough T1D Canada Volunteer Award Winners.

Congratulations to all our Award Winners. To read more about them, please click HERE.

2025 Breakthrough T1D Canada Volunteer Awards

Tannis M. Richardson, who created an incredible legacy of philanthropy and volunteerism in Manitoba and across Canada, died on April 13, 2026, at the age of 99.  

Breakthrough T1D is saddened by the loss of Tannis, a longtime champion for the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community who, with her late husband George T. Richardson, was pivotal to growing Breakthrough T1D in Winnipeg (then Juvenile Diabetes Foundation – JDF) and creating the annual A Starry Starry Night Gala in support of our mission. Tannis also lent her talents to Breakthrough T1D’s national and international boards. In 2021, she gave a transformational $1 million gift to fuel our global research in Canada and beyond. 

Tannis played a vital role in building a community of passionate volunteers to rally around T1D research in Manitoba and throughout Canada. She was especially proud of A Starry Starry Night Gala, which became one of the most memorable and impactful events in the region – raising more than $8 million in support of Breakthrough T1D over the past half century. She created a culture of awareness and inspired a legacy of support for T1D, leading to the research breakthroughs and accessibility wins we’ve celebrated over the last 50+ years. It was our honour to work closely with someone who lived their life guided selflessly by the principles of philanthropy. 

While she always led a life of service, it was the discovery that her daughter Pamela had T1D that found the family on the frontline of a battle they knew little about. Diagnosed at nine years old, Pamela and her family had to learn to manage a disease that was not well understood at the time, nor well supported by Manitoba’s and Canada’s healthcare system. Sadly, Pamela died at the age of 29 from complications of diabetes. 

Hoping to spare other families from heartbreaking tragedy, Tannis became devoted to raising awareness of T1D and ensuring adequate support for Manitobans living with the condition. Her nearly 50 years of commitment to Breakthrough T1D led to tremendous breakthroughs in cure research, T1D management, and access. In 2023, Manitoba stepped up as the gold standard province in Canada for diabetes device coverage by removing all age restrictions to provincial coverage of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGM), bringing Tannis’s tenured advocacy efforts to fruition.

Breakthrough T1D is deeply grateful to Tannis for her visionary support and dedication that created an unparalleled legacy for the T1D community. She brought us closer to a world without T1D and helped make living with T1D more manageable for nearly 300,000 Canadians.  

We extend sincere sympathies to Tannis’s family and to all those whose lives she touched.  

Tannis shared about her life and legacy with Breakthrough T1D in 2021. Click here to read the blog.

Founding Member, Breakthrough T1D Canada 
Breakthrough T1D International Chancellor 

Breakthrough T1D Canada mourns the loss of Krayna Golfman, one of our founding members and a trailblazer in bringing the type 1 diabetes (T1D) movement to Canada. 

Krayna passed away peacefully on April 9, 2026. 

More than fifty years ago, Krayna helped bring to Canada an organization that had begun in the United States, transforming it into what would become Breakthrough T1D Canada. Working from her Montreal basement alongside other committed families, she played a pivotal role in establishing a national presence dedicated to accelerating research, improving care, and uniting the T1D community across this country. 

In the early 1970s, Krayna Golfman and Mitch Garfinkle each faced the life‑changing diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in their sons, David and Jimmy. At the time, little was understood about the disease, and research support was limited. Rather than accept the status quo, they joined with other families affected by T1D to build a Canadian organization grounded in action, urgency, and hope. 

A deeply proud mother, Krayna ensured her children grew up confident and fully engaged in life; playing sports, staying active, and learning to manage their diabetes day to day. That same resolve carried forward as her family grew. When her grandson was later diagnosed with T1D, Krayna’s commitment to advancing progress for future generations remained unwavering. She was equally proud of her role as a grandmother and great‑grandmother, cherishing family as both her motivation and her legacy. 

Behind the scenes, Krayna worked tirelessly to raise awareness and generate critical funding for T1D research, mobilizing the Montreal community through golf tournaments, galas, bike‑a‑thons, and countless grassroots initiatives that laid the foundation for long‑term impact. 

In recognition of her extraordinary leadership and enduring influence, Krayna was named a Breakthrough T1D International Chancellor, an honour reflecting the profound respect she earned across the global T1D community and the lasting significance of the work she helped establish in Canada. 

Krayna was deeply proud of what Breakthrough T1D Canada became. Over the past five decades, the organization she helped found has been at the forefront of major advances in T1D research and advocacy, contributing to improved care, access, and technologies that have extended both lifespan and quality of life for people living with T1D in Canada. 

Her legacy lives on through the progress she helped accelerate, the community she helped build, and her family, who remain closely and lovingly connected to this mission. 

As we remember Krayna, we honour a life defined by courage, leadership, and devotion to family. Breakthrough T1D Canada will continue her legacy by standing with the T1D community, advocating for equitable access to treatments and technologies, and funding the most promising research on the path toward cures. 

Our deepest sympathies are extended to her family, and to all those whose lives she touched. 

Gifts made in her memory will help carry forward the work she was so proud to help build. 

To learn more about Krayna’s remarkable life, please visit her obituary here.  

Memorial Gifts in Krayna’s Honour 

If you live with type 1 diabetes (T1D), or love someone who does, you know how much daily effort it takes to stay healthy and how urgently better treatments and cures are needed.

That’s why we want to share an important update.

Breakthrough T1D Canada has formally asked the federal government to partner with us to launch the Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada (BTNC) – a national effort designed to speed up the path to real, lasting treatments for T1D.

This proposal didn’t come out of nowhere. It was shaped over many months with input from dozens of stakeholders – researchers, clinicians, industry experts, policymakers, and members of the T1D community – all focused on one shared goal: making sure people in Canada can benefit from breakthrough therapies for T1D as soon as possible.

Why this matters for people living with T1D
Right now, some of the most promising T1D therapies in history are moving from the lab into human trials, including therapies designed to restore the body’s ability to make insulin.

But here’s the challenge: without coordination at a national level, Canada risks seeing those trials, expertise, and future treatments happen elsewhere, meaning Canadians could wait longer to access them.

The BTNC is about changing that.

It is designed to:
• Link expertise, ideas and efforts from across the country to reduce duplication and accelerate T1D research and innovation
• Bring T1D clinical trials to Canada faster
• Support more trial sites across the country
• Help ensure successful therapies are developed, tested, and delivered here at home

For the T1D community, that means earlier access to trials, clearer pathways to new therapies, and a stronger chance that life‑changing treatments reach people in Canada sooner.

What exactly is the Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada?
The BTNC is not a new building or a single research project.
It is a coordinated national network that would connect researchers, clinicians, hospitals, industry partners, and people living with T1D under one clear plan, with shared priorities, timelines, and standards.

In practical terms, the BTNC would:
• Actively manage a national portfolio of T1D research initiatives and trials
• Help trial sites launch and run studies more efficiently
• Support shared training, protocols, and knowledge‑sharing
• Work with partners to move successful therapies toward real‑world use

How this fits with Project ACT
If you’re familiar with Project ACT, this may sound aligned — and that’s intentional.

Project ACT is Breakthrough T1D’s global strategy to accelerate cell therapies as cures for T1D, by addressing not just science, but clinical trials, regulation, access, and health‑system readiness. The BTNC is a key part of how we’re achieving that strategy here in Canada. It focuses on making sure Canada has the systems, coordination, and partnerships needed to turn global progress into real access for people living with T1D here: not years later, and not somewhere else first.

Built with community and partner input
This proposal reflects conversations with dozens of stakeholders, including people from across the T1D research and innovation ecosystem. Their input helped shape a plan that is practical, realistic, and focused on results. We are grateful to the Stem Cell Network for their partnership and to the following organizations for their generous support of this stakeholder engagement work:

• Vertex Pharmaceuticals
• Sana Biotechnology
• Novo Nordisk Canada
• Allarta Life Science

Thanks to all those who participated in stakeholder consultations. Your willingness to share perspectives, ask hard questions, and keep the focus on people living with T1D helped strengthen this proposal and ensure it reflects real community priorities.

What happens next
The federal government is now considering our proposal.
If approved, this partnership would represent a significant step toward:
• Faster progress toward cures
• Stronger clinical trial opportunities in Canada
• A future where people living with T1D spend less time managing the disease and more time living their lives
• Global leadership for Canada in T1D research and trials

We’ll continue to keep you informed, and we’ll continue to advocate – alongside you – for a future without T1D.

Thank you for being part of this journey.