Building next-generation solutions for type 1 diabetes
Vancouver-based Aspect Biosystems recently announced a new $280 million partnership with the Government of Canada. Breakthrough T1D Canada’s Chief Scientific Officer, Sarah Linklater, spoke with Aspect’s Founder and CEO, Tamer Mohamed, about what the news means for the future of type 1 diabetes (T1D) treatment.
Sarah: For readers who may not be familiar with Aspect Biosystems, can you tell us what the company does and which health conditions you’re focused on?
Tamer: Aspect is pioneering what we call bioengineered cellular therapies. In simple terms, these are engineered cellular medicines designed to replace the function that’s lost because of disease—and without the need for long-term immune suppression.
Our main focus is on metabolic and endocrine diseases, with T1D being a major priority. We’re developing a stem cell-derived islet replacement therapy that aims to restore blood glucose control without requiring chronic immune suppression, which has long been one of the biggest challenges in this field.
We’re also applying our platform technology to other endocrine diseases, including primary adrenal insufficiency and other rare conditions. Across all of these areas, our goal is the same: to bring the full power of our platform to serious diseases that have been extremely difficult to treat—and develop curative medicines.
Sarah: Aspect recently announced major investments from the Government of Canada. What does this mean for the T1D community?
Tamer: Canada has a deep and proud history in diabetes research, including the discovery of insulin. More than 100 years later, this partnership is about Aspect Biosystems leading the next wave of curative medicines and building something truly generational, anchored in Canada.
In 2024, we launched a $200 million partnership with the governments of Canada and British Columbia to advance our platform and therapeutic pipeline. More recently, we’ve deepened our partnership with an additional $280 million project with the federal government to strengthen our clinical development capabilities and help us go the distance.
For the T1D community, this matters because it accelerates our ability to move therapies into advanced clinical development. It brings us closer to delivering curative medicines to people in Canada and around the world—and it does so by building a generational biotech company right here at home.
Sarah: Regenerative medicine is a rapidly evolving field, especially in T1D. What makes Aspect’s approach stand out?
Tamer: We have three elements that are essential to unlocking cellular therapies with curative potential without the need for chronic immune suppression. First, access to high-quality stem cell-derived islets. Second, best-in-class immune evasion technologies that protect those cells from the immune system. And third, the manufacturing required to scale these therapies.
We took a big step forward earlier this year in our partnership with Novo Nordisk to integrate key stem cell and hypoimmune cell engineering technologies under Aspect’s leadership. Combined with our recent federal investment, this gives us a real opportunity to develop therapies that could be transformative for people living with T1D.
Sarah: Looking ahead, how does Aspect plan to work with the T1D research and clinical community, including Breakthrough T1D?
Tamer: Partnership with the people we aim to serve is absolutely central to what we do. As we advance toward first-in-human studies, continuing to deepen our understanding of the patient experience becomes even more important.
From the early days, Breakthrough T1D played a role in shaping our path – we held an industry grant that enabled us to create a focus on T1D and, later, support from the T1D Fund. Our partnership with Breakthrough T1D was never just about capital. It was about shared mission, insight, connections, and learning.
We know the challenge ahead is enormous, and we’re humbled by it. But we’re committed. Our job isn’t done until we’ve made a real difference for people living with T1D—and we’re not going to rest until we do.
Guest post: Soundous Sellam, student living with type 1 diabetes in Montreal
Living with T1D (type 1 diabetes)
I don’t wake up at night because of school stress. I wake up because my sugar dropped, again. It’s 3 am and I have to shove food in my mouth, trying to convince my body not to give up on me. The quiet of the house makes the beeping of my glucose monitor feel deafening and strangely unreal. It’s such a weird reality.
People hear “diabetes” and picture an older person told to stop eating sugar. That’s type 2. I have type 1. I didn’t get this because of what I ate or how I lived. My own immune system destroyed the cells in my pancreas that produce insulin, leaving me to manage something my body can no longer do for me. My pancreas became a battlefield, and my immune system, once protector, turned into the invader, devouring the cells I needed to survive. It felt as if my own body had mistaken its organs for enemies. It tore through the cells that once worked tirelessly for me.
I was diagnosed in May 2022. The doctors told me my blood sugar was 26 mmol/L which is dangerously high. I was on the edge of life and death, nearly in diabetic ketoacidosis. Suddenly, I had to grow up faster than anyone else. I had to learn to inject myself, count carbs with precision, carry supplies everywhere, and cover bruises from needles and sensors. Even when I slept, even when I was sick or exhausted, the calculations never stopped. I had to care for myself constantly because if I didn’t, the consequences could be immediate or long-term, from passing out to risking damage to my heart, eyes, and kidneys.
When I was diagnosed, I didn’t want my parents to carry the weight of my illness for me. I didn’t want to wake them up in the middle of the night every time my sugar dropped or see the worry etched into their faces every time I checked my numbers. So, I stood up for myself. I learned to inject insulin, count carbs, and manage my highs and lows on my own. It wasn’t just about independence it was about protecting them from the fear that came with every spike and crash. In taking responsibility for my own care, I discovered a resilience I didn’t know I had. I don’t vent to them, I don’t stress them out with the endless calculations, the beeping monitors, the sudden lows that knock me off my feet. I keep it all to myself. It’s a quiet burden, one I carry so they don’t have to.
Sometimes it’s lonely, but in that silence, I’ve learned to listen to my body, to trust myself, and to stand on my own even when everything feels unpredictable. Managing diabetes became not just about survival, it became about proving to myself that I could handle whatever life threw at me.
It isn’t just the physical labor; it’s the mental weight. There’s a second voice in my head, always questioning, always calculating: Did I take enough insulin? Did I eat too much? Will I crash during my exam? Will someone think I’m exaggerating? It gets exhausting and it’s a daily pressure, like a hand pushing down on me, reminding me that I can never let my guard down.
Some nights, despite all my planning, my body still rebels. I wake up shaking, sweating, seeing stars, unable to even sit up. Every number feels like a puzzle, and the solution decides whether I feel okay or end up in the hospital. I learned to be responsible, to make the right decisions, and to carry the weight that those decisions can have, not just on myself, but on the people around me.
Every choice, from a small snack to a dose of insulin, is a lesson in accountability. It feels like solving equations that never end, numbers looping through my mind like an infinite maze. Diabetes taught me that my actions have consequences, and that taking ownership of them is both a challenge and a gift.
People tell me to “just accept it.” And sometimes, I have. Until I’m at the pharmacy, staring at a bag full of insulin, needles, and sensors and realize that this bag will never be empty. Not next month, not next year, not ever. I’ve accepted it… until I walk into a restaurant and see people eating without a second thought, no carb counting, no calculations, no fear. I’ve accepted it, until exhaustion and sugar swings make me snap at someone I love, and I wonder who that even was. Acceptance isn’t a box you check. It’s something you lose, and slowly find again.
Type 1 diabetes has taken a lot from me, but it has also given me more than I could have imagined. It has taught me discipline, patience, and self-awareness. It also made me more empathetic. Living with a constant, invisible shadow that walks beside men even when the sun is out, taught me that everyone is fighting their own battles, even when I can’t see them. I’ve learned to notice the small struggles, to listen, and to approach others with patience and understanding because I know what it feels like to carry a weight no one else can see.
And one day, I hope to use what I’ve learned to help others fight in the same way I’ve had to fight for myself. I want to be an anchor for others, someone they can rely on when life feels uncertain. Living with this disease has shown me the importance of steadiness, patience, and care not just for myself, but for the people around me. If I can offer support, understanding, or a calm presence to someone else, I know it can make a difference. I hope I’ll make that difference.
May is Mental Health Awareness month, an international movement dedicated to reducing stigma, providing education, and promoting mental health as a critical part of overall health and well-being. The month highlights the need for community support, early intervention, and professional resources for those challenged by mental health issues.
Having type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects a person’s emotional, social, and mental wellbeing throughout their lifetime, known collectively as psychosocial health.
Research has shown that people with T1D are at higher risk of mental health disorders including depression, anxiety and disordered eating. These challenges are common in people with T1D and can be treated – but only with the right resources that address the correct gaps in healthcare specific to diabetes.
Launched in 2021, Breakthrough T1D takes a three-pronged approach to its Mental Health Strategy: 1) enabling knowledge generation through new research, 2) delivering a training program for mental health providers, and 3) developing both new and ongoing community supports.
Since then, we have seen significant progress in all three key areas, thanks to the generous support of donors, as well as partnerships with academia, other diabetes organizations, and community partners.
We are pleased to share the updates to this program that have taken place since May, 2025.
Mental Health + Diabetes Training Program A training program specializing in type 1 and type 2 diabetes
We continued to deliver the Mental Health + Diabetes in both English and French, supporting registered mental health providers care providers to better understand the psychosocial impacts of diabetes.
This year, we developed a companion workbook to the e-learning that includes key takeaways from each module and includes thought-promoting questions. This workbook addresses feedback from learners that have completed the program, as this was a common request of participants.
We made updates and quality improvements to ensure the program remains relevant and evidence informed.
678 mental health providers completed this training as of May 1st 2026
Mental health providers who complete our training program are eligible to join our Directory of trained providers, allowing the the diabetes community to more easliy find providers in their communities.
We were very pleased to see consistent and continued growth of the Directory and we continued to work to increase the visibility of trained mental health providers across Canada.
We completed ongoing reviews and maintenance of the Directory to ensure listings remain accurate and useful for people living with diabetes and their caregivers.
The Directory now includes trained mental health providers who can provide care in all provinces and territories (please note for the territories they are currently offering virtual appointments and are cross-listed with other provinces).
244 mental health providers listed as of May 1, 2026
Research updates Current mental health research focuses on adolescents, young adults, and those facing care transitions or geographic barriers.
Projects funded in partnership with Brain Canada are developing and testing psychosocial interventions.
A randomized controlled trial, Teaching Adolescents with type 1 Diabetes Self-compassion (TADS) to reduce diabetes distress, led by Dr. Marie-Eve Robinson, Ontariodemonstrated that a mindful self‑compassion program significantly reduced diabetes distress, depression, anxiety, and disordered eating among youth. Full results from this completed study will be presented in 2026.
Dr. Tricia Tang, British Columbia uses a virtual care platform called REACHOUT to deliver peer‑led mental health support to adults with T1D across British Columbia. Participants in Dr. Tang’s recent trial showed reductions in diabetes distress and depressive symptoms, alongside increased perceived social support.
TECC-T1D3: Technology-enabled Comprehensive Care for young adults with Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetes Distress, a study led by Dr. Peter Selby, Ontario is using qualitative interviews to inform the design of a technology‑enabled care intervention for young adults experiencing diabetes distress, which is currently in the pilot phase.
Projects funded in partnership with CIHR address key life transitions and unmet psychosocial needs.
Aiming for Something Sweeter: Supporting Youth with Type 1 Diabetes During Transition from Pediatric to Adult Diabetes Care led by Dr. Sonia Butalia, Alberta is testing how to support youth transitioning from pediatric to adult diabetes care by integrating trained non‑medical transition coordinators into the health system.
Adaptation and Pilot Evaluation of a Digital Intervention Targeting the Psychosocial Needs of Individuals with Pregestational Diabetes: A Mixed-Methods Multi Phase Study led by Dr. Deborah Da Costa, Quebec is adapting the HealthyMoms digital platform to support the mental health needs of individuals with pre-gestational diabetes during pregnancy planning, pregnancy, and postpartum periods, with a trial planned for 2027.
Type 1 Diabetes, Exercise and Mentoring (TEAM) Trial: A randomized controlled pilot trial using peer mentorship to increase physical activity and quality of life in adolescents with type 1 diabetes led by Dr. Jon McGavock, Manitoba evaluates a peer‑mentorship model to increase physical activity, quality of life, and belonging among adolescents with T1D, with early feedback demonstrating meaningful benefits among participants.
Find Your CommuniT1D: Customized Virtual Peer Support for People Living with Type1 Diabetes. Dr. Holly Witteman, Quebec established a robust team of individuals with lived and loved experience of T1D as well as digital health experts to create CommuniT1D. The program launched in summer 2025 and are currently recruiting participants that are being placed in small groups based on similar circumstances or needs.
Updates on Community Grants An incubator initiative designed to provide seed funding to organizations ready to transform innovative ideas into successful projects to support the mental health and wellness of the T1D community.
Through their community grant support, the University of Montreal created videos in French with English subtitles about mental health and T1D, covering a range of important topics. These videos and more T1D specific mental health content are available on the Type 1 Better Support platform.
We also provided a top up grant to Connected in Motion, “Bridging the Gap: Mental Health Integration into Slipstream Programming,” wrapped up in February 2026, an extension and add on to the 2023 grant stream. With this support the organization built a new mental health hub: https://www.connectedinmotion.ca/mental-health-hub/, that expanded digital content and delivered mental health specific sessions at their virtual programming session. session.
The new Hub now brings together:
Community-written blogs and reflections on topics like burnout, identity, relationships, aging, and emotional resilience
Recorded virtual sessions exploring the mental side of living with type 1 diabetes
Community-created tools and gentle visual resources that support everyday well-being
Clear pathways to connect with others through events, groups, and additional supports
A 2026 funding opportunity has been announced and will be larger (up to $35,000 each) to allow for even more fulsome projects.
Expanded partnerships and community collaboration Working with the community to provide outreach and further fill gaps in community resources and care
Breakthrough T1D was pleased to launch a new partnership with You’re Just My Type (YJMT to provide more peer support opportunities, both virtually and in-person.
This partnership will bring two in-person events and one virtual event throughout 2026 – May 30th in Vancouver, Toronto in the autumn, and a virtual event later in the year. These will be YJMT’s first-ever Canadian events and will help to strengthen peer connection and community-driven mental health support for adults living with T1D.
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to meeting people where they are with relatable, accessible mental health resources.
We also continue to collaborate with Diabetes Canada on our Training Program and Directory, and thank them for their ongoing efforts to increase awareness and engagement of these initiatives.
Caregiver Support Recognizing an unaddressed need for parent and caregiver support.
We have also released a new Caregiver Guide for parents and caregivers of children and adolescents living with T1D. Based on a guide produced by Breakthrough T1D Australia, and with input from Canadian mental health providers and people with lived experience of T1D, we are pleased to release the updated Canadian guide for our audience.
We had frequent feedback that caregiver support was a significant need for the T1D community, and the new guide acts as a practical, compassionate resource to support parents and caregivers of children and youth living with T1D.
To further support T1D caregivers, we are planning virtual, interactive sessions for fall 2026. These facilitated sessions will aim to provide parents and caregivers of children and teens living with T1D with a supportive, interactive space to reflect on their experiences, build practical coping skills, and connect with others facing similar challenges.
Thank you to our community
Breakthrough T1D Canada remains enormously grateful for the support of our Mental Health Advisory Council, lead volunteers and philanthropic partners, including funding partners Brain Canada and CIHR, without whom our progress in this area would not be possible.
To keep informed of upcoming events with YJMT and the caregiver support sessions, please ensure you’re on our mailing list or follow our social media channels: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn
In March 2026, Breakthrough T1D Canada and You’re Just My Type (YJMT) announced a new partnership to build on lived experience support as part of the organization’s mental health and diabetes strategy.
You’re Just My Type is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the mental health of people living with T1D through in-person events, resources, and community-building.
The partnership with Breakthrough T1D will bring YJMT to Canadians, through free, in-person mental health events for adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D), taking place in Vancouver in May, in Toronto and an online event in November that will be available to anyone in Canada.
Breakthrough T1D had the opportunity to speak with YJMT founder Laura Pavlakovich about what motivated her to start her nonprofit, and her hopes for the expansion into Canadian communities.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes for nearly my entire life, and I’ve found that the mental toll can often be heavier than the physical. My background is in photojournalism, a path that took me all over the world and ignited my passion for storytelling and human connection. In 2016, I began combining these two worlds – photography and T1D – to share the stories of our community. That work eventually grew into You’re Just My Type, where we now focus on building mental-health-centered, peer-led spaces for those living with this condition.
What made you start You’re Just My Type?
You’re Just My Type grew out of realizing how much peer support and in-person community were missing in the Type 1 space. While the photo project began in 2016, it evolved into a formal organization in 2021 when I hosted our first in-person mental health event.
I kept thinking about what I wished I had growing up; diabetes camp was a lifesaver, but it only existed for one week a year. I wanted that support to be a year-round reality. Since 2021, we’ve hosted over 50 free events across multiple cities. It became clear that people don’t just need better tools—they need each other.
What makes you excited about the YJMT and Breakthrough T1D Canada partnership?
We hear from people in Canada all the time asking if we’ll ever bring You’re Just My Type there, so this partnership feels incredibly meaningful. Breakthrough T1D Canada is such a trusted and respected organization, and we share a fundamental belief that caring for people with type 1 means caring for their mental health, too. Partnering together makes it possible to reach more people and begin building community in new places in a thoughtful, sustainable way.
Why do you think it’s important for people to understand about mental health and Type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is a 24/7 mental experience, even when it looks “under control” from the outside. People often think Type 1 is easy because, as a community, we’ve learned how to make it look easy.
What they don’t see is the constant decision-making, the math, the planning, the sleepless nights, and the complete exhaustion that comes with managing a chronic illness every single day. Mental health support isn’t an optional “extra” in diabetes care; it is essential.
Any further message you want to share with the Canadian T1D community?
You’re not alone in this, even if it feels that way sometimes. You deserve spaces where you can be honest, imperfect, and fully understood. We are so excited to bring You’re Just My Type’s community-based events to Canada and build something alongside you. You belong here.
Learn more about You’re Just My Type at: https://www.yourejustmytype.org/ and further announcements about upcoming events by following Breakthrough T1D Canada on their social media channels.
There is a saying that many of us have heard soon after boarding a flight: “put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others,” a safety instruction when you’re on an airplane that acts as a metaphor for self-care. Simply put, it means taking care of your physical and emotional well-being before attempting to help others. Because if you don’t look after yourself first, it becomes much harder to look after anyone else.
For parents and caregivers of children and youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) it can feel difficult to put your mask on first. After a diagnosis of T1D, the focus will inevitably be on your child first and getting them through that acute phase of fear and uncertainty, before learning to navigate your new normal as a family with T1D.
But it’s essential to also take care of your health and well-being, even during the period immediately following diagnosis. T1D is a lifelong disease that requires 24/7 management without time off and with no breaks, and it can be relentless. Continually being in a state of high alert without self-care can lead to chronic stress and caregiver burnout.
Learning to recognize concerning effects on mental health and preventing them before they become serious is especially hard for parents of children with T1D, as they often feel their needs come secondary to those of their child’s.
“I felt overwhelmed by the complexity of managing the disease, along with a deep sadness for the carefree childhood I feared had been lost,” said Mina, a caregiver whose child was diagnosed at 10 years old.
Breakthrough T1D Canada heard from the community that there was a gap in caregiver support. Therefore, as part of its Mental Health Strategy, Breakthrough T1D Canada has launched a new Caregiver Guide to help address this underrepresented need.
Based on a guide produced by Breakthrough T1D Australia, and with input from Canadian mental health providers and people with lived experience of T1D, we are pleased to release the updated Canadian guide for our audience.
The Caregiver Guide is a thorough, chapter-based information guide that details the many different stages of caregiving, including:
The immediate aftermath of diagnosis
Transitional stages, (i.e. elementary school to middle school to high school)
When your child asserts independence in their T1D management
Impact on siblings
Different types of stress
Coping strategies
When to seek professional support and help, and much more.
We hope that it will be a useful, compassionate resource to help parents and caregivers of children and youth living with T1D.
“The T1D community became an extraordinary source of support on our journey. Connecting with other families, social workers, and accessing the resources available through Breakthrough T1D made an enormous difference for our family. Today, my son is doing wonderfully—happy, healthy, and thriving while managing T1D—and we remain deeply grateful for the community that helped us get here,” says Mina.
In fall 2026, to complement the Caregiver Guide, Breakthrough T1D is planning free, virtual, facilitated caregiver support sessions. These sessions will aim to provide parents and caregivers of children and teens living with T1D with a supportive, interactive space to reflect on their experiences, build practical coping skills, and connect with others facing similar challenges.
They will aim to translate key themes from the Caregiver Guide into practical, real-world reflection and discussion, encourage parents to seek help when needed, and to foster connections to mental health and peer supports.
The sessions will be in both English and French, with time for a question-and-answer period.
Putting your oxygen mask on first isn’t always easy, but it’s crucial that caregivers also prioritize their own health and well-being in order to best support a child with T1D. And Breakthrough T1D is here with resources to help support parents and other caregivers in their own personal journeys with T1D.
“In the hardest moments, what helped me most was realizing I didn’t have to do this alone… Asking for support is not a weakness, but a vital part of this journey,” says Miriam, whose child was diagnosed age 13.
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 FromBeta 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Be part of the movement! Help keep T1D on the federal agenda.
Join our advocacy campaign to accelerate T1D research.
