Adie Viljoen

MBChB FCP(SA) MMed FRCPath MBA, Lister Hospital & Cambridge Universities NHS Trust, UK

Dr Adie Viljoen is a clinical specialist and works as a Consultant Chemical Pathologist and Metabolic Physician in Hertfordshire, UK, having trained in South Africa where he received his medical and specialty medicine qualifications.  He conducts clinics in diabetes, cardiovascular risk prevention, lipid and metabolic disorders and his interests include type 2 diabetes and diabetic dyslipidaemia, diabetes.

He is a Senior Lecturer in Medicine at the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Postgraduate Medical, and a Member of the Institute for Diabetes in Older People (IDOP). He is the UK Chief Investigator and Principal Site investigator for several international phase 2 and 3 research trials in diabetes, obesity and lipids including studies such as EXAMINE, ORIGIN, 4T, CRESCENDO. He is a member of the Scientific Research Committee of HEART UK and the UK cholesterol charity. 

David Strain

MD, University of Exeter Medical School, UK

Dr David Strain is a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK. He is an honorary consultant in medicine for the older adult, Head of the academic department for healthcare for older adults, and the co-chair of the British Medical Association’s medical academic staff committee. Clinically, he runs a community diabetes service for the older adult, works as an in-patient stroke consultant, and participates in the chronic fatigue service.

His main research focus is the health of older adults with diabetes and ensuring the right patient gets the right treatment. This includes research across the spectrum from mechanistic studies in the biologically young to pragmatic trials in the frail elderly population. He was the lead author on the UK guidance for the assessment and management of older adults with diabetes and frailty, which has recently led to a change in the NICE guidance and primary care contract.

He has performed the only study to date demonstrating the feasibility of individualizing targets for older adults across Europe and since March 2020, he has been heavily involved in the COVID-19 response team. 

Matthew A. Cavender

MD, MPH, University of North Carolina, USA

Dr Matthew A. Cavender, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Cardiology Clinical Outcomes Group and Co-Director of Cardiovascular Clinical Trials at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC.

He is clinically active as an interventional cardiologist and specializes in transcatheter therapies for patients with advanced coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, and valvular heart disease. He has extensive experience in clinical research studying the clinical effectiveness of clinical interventions, devices, and pharmacotherapies.  His research efforts are focused on the effectiveness of existing treatment strategies and therapies for patients with cardiovascular disease, the impact of diabetes on cardiovascular events among patients with coronary artery disease, and pharmacologic and interventional strategies to improve outcomes in patients with diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Dr Cavender is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of several medical societies and organizations, including the American Heart Association Council of Clinical Cardiology, and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

Peter Rossing

MD, DMSc, Steno Diabetes Center, Denmark

Professor Peter Rossing is a clinician researcher devoted to complications in diabetes with a focus on renal and cardiovascular complications. He holds a specialist degree in internal medicine and endocrinology and is Chief physician and manager of the Steno Diabetes Center research team dedicated to the research of micro-and macrovascular complications of diabetes.

Professor Rossing has investigated key features of the pathophysiology of the diabetic kidney at different stages in epidemiological studies. He has identified several markers for development of diabetic nephropathy, making it possible to predict the individual risk. He has been involved in several intervention studies in patients with overt diabetic nephropathy aiming at improving the prognosis.

Professor Rossing is a coordinator of the EU FP7 project PRIORITY, which aims to test if urinary proteomics can be used to stratify prevention of renal complications in type 2 diabetes, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation grant PROTON, which aims at personalising prevention of diabetic nephropathy.

Tina Vilsbøll

MD DMSc, Center for Diabetes Research at Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Professor Vilsbøll has been involved in diabetes research since 1997, and in 2004 she established the Center for Diabetes Research at Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark now part of Steno. Her research is focused on the pathophysiology of obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, regulation of appetite and food intake, and the utilisation of incretins as therapeutics. Integration of the gut in the understanding of human glucose metabolism has become a major focus in her lab over recent years. Professor Vilsbøll is an experienced teacher and supervises several PhD and medical students conducting diabetes research. She is a frequently invited speaker at international meetings. In addition to her teaching and research posts, Professor Vilsbøll is a member of numerous professional societies and committees, and referees for several international journals.