The information on this website is intended for healthcare professionals only and is provided solely for the purpose of scientific exchange. By accessing this website you accept this legal disclaimer and you expressly confirm your status as a healthcare professional.
This website is not country specific and may therefore contain information that is not applicable to your country. The website is not intended to provide medical advice and/or treatment guidance. Therefore, before prescribing any product, always refer to information approved by regulatory authorities in your country such as the prescribing information and/or the Summary of Product Characteristics. Novo Nordisk accepts no liability for the accuracy, completeness or use of information on this website, and disclaims any liability to update the information contained on this website.
Dr Roopa Mehta is an endocrinologist and a researcher in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at INCMNSZ, Mexico City, Mexico. She is the director of the lipid clinic and the cardiovascular laboratory. She is an associate professor in both pre- and postgraduate endocrinology programmes, and is a principal investigator for Phase 3 clinical trials. She has completed a PhD in Medical Sciences.
Dr Mehta undertook her medical training at the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, UK. She subsequently trained as an endocrinologist at INCMNSZ. On completing the residency programme, Dr Mehta subspecialised in diabetes and metabolism and gained further clinical and investigative experience rotating at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.
She has received the Alfonso Rivera Research Award and the Young Investigator Award from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. She is a member of the Mexican National Academy of Medicine. Dr Mehta has authored and co-authored publications in international journals in addition to numerous book chapters. She is a co-editor of a book for patients called Living with Diabetes: A Practical Manual.
Rachel Batterham
Professor of Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology, University College London, London, UK
Professor Rachel Batterham is Professor of obesity, diabetes and endocrinology at University College London (UCL), London, UK. She leads the University College London Hospital (UCLH) Bariatric Centre for Weight Management and Metabolic Surgery and the UCL Centre for Obesity Research within the Department of Medicine. She is Clinical Director for the Division of Medicine at UCL, Director for the UCLH/UCL NIHR Biomedical Research Centre obesity research theme and Special Advisor on obesity for the Royal College of Physicians.
In 2022, she was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to people affected by obesity. She has also received several national and international awards for her work in obesity, including the Royal Society of Medicine’s Stevens Lecture (2018), the Andre Mayer award from the World Obesity Federation (2016) and the Diabetes UK Rank Prize Funds Nutrition (2015).
Professor Batterham has made significant clinical contributions to defining the management of obese patients through her membership of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guideline Development Group on obesity. She is co-chair of NHS England’s Clinical Advisory Group for specialist weight management, and since 2016, she has been a trustee for the Association for the Study of Obesity and Council Member for British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society. She is passionate about reducing the stigma that people with obesity experience and ensuring that the patient voice is heard. She has established a charity for people affected by obesity, the Obesity Empowerment Network UK.
Juris Meier
Gastroenterology and Diabetology at the Augusta Hospital, Bochum, Germany
Professor Juris Meier is Professor of Medicine and Chief Physician of the Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Diabetology at the Augusta Hospital in Bochum, Germany. He received his medical degree with honours from the Medical School at Ruhr University Bochum and has performed research fellowships at the Panum Institute at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and UCLA School of Medicine, California, USA. Professor Meier has received numerous national and international scientific awards, including a Rising Star Lecture from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the Werner Creutzfeldt Prize from the German Diabetes Association.
Professor Meier has authored and co-authored over 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as several book chapters. He currently serves as Associate Editor of Diabetologia and has been a member of the Editorial Board of Diabetes and Regulatory Peptides, in addition to his role as a reviewer for journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Diabetes Care and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Professor Meier’s research interests include the regulation of insulin secretion in vivo, the physiological actions and therapeutic applications of incretin hormones, and the mechanisms of beta-cell death in patients with diabetes.
Sue Pedersen
C-endo Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic, Calgary, AB, Canada
Dr Sue D. Pedersen is a certified American Board of Obesity Medicine diplomate and specialist in endocrinology and metabolism. She has a busy endocrinology practice at the C-endo Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic in Calgary, AB, Canada, with a focus on obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Dr Pedersen completed her training as an endocrinologist at the University of Calgary, AB, Canada in 2005. She has worked at the Royal University Hospital, SK, Canada, and held a research sabbatical at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She serves as a principal and/or national investigator and co-author of several research studies, including studies of pharmacotherapy for obesity and for diabetes.
Dr Pedersen has a prominent role with Obesity Canada. She is the lead author of the chapter ‘Pharmacotherapy in Obesity Management’ in the 2020 Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines. She is also a member of the expert committee for the 2018 Diabetes Canada guidelines as an author on the chapter ‘Weight Management in Diabetes’. Dr Pedersen maintains a public information website about weight management and diabetes at www.drsue.ca.
Carel le Roux
University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Professor Carel le Roux graduated from medical school in Pretoria, South Africa. He completed his specialist training in metabolic medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK and Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK, and his PhD at Imperial College London, London, UK, where he was later promoted to Reader. Professor le Roux currently coordinates the Innovative Medicines Initiative project SOPHIA, and previously received a President of Ireland Young Researcher award, Clinician Scientist award from the National Institute Health Research in the UK, and a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research fellowship for his work on how the gut talks to the brain.
Domenica Rubino
Washington Center for Weight Management and Research, Arlington, VA, USA
Dr Domenica Rubino is Founder and Director of the Washington Center for Weight Management and Research in Arlington, VA, USA, a comprehensive weight management programme utilising a multidisciplinary team for the care of individuals with obesity. Dr Rubino is board certified in obesity medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, and internal medicine, and received training in both clinical and molecular biological research at the US National Institutes of Health. She is currently a clinical investigator for Epitomee, Boehringer Ingelheim and Novo Nordisk, and is the recipient of an independent research grant from Obesinov, SARL. She has over 20 years of experience in the care of individuals with obesity as well as in pharmacotherapeutic development for the treatment of obesity.
She currently serves as a clinical expert on the treatment of obesity for several professional committees, and as a consultant and speaker for Novo Nordisk. She has also served as a representative to Congress and outside organisations for The Obesity Society.
Dr Rubino has received several investigator awards and has published articles in peer-reviewed publications, including JAMA, Lancet, International Journal of Obesity, Postgraduate Medicine, Obesity, European Journal of Endocrinology, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, and Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. She recently contributed a chapter on ‘Biopsychosocial modifiers of obesity’ for the textbook entitled Bariatric Endocrinology, published by Springer Verlag.
Lee Kaplan
Weight Center at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
Dr Lee M Kaplan is Director of the Obesity, Metabolism, and Nutrition Institute and Founding Director of the Weight Center at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA; and Director of the Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; and Associate Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS), Boston, MA, USA. His research focuses on the role of the gastrointestinal tract and gut microbiota in the regulation of energy balance and metabolic function, the mechanisms of action of bariatric surgery, and the genetic determinants of obesity and its response to therapy.
He has served in several US and international governmental and corporate advisory roles, including most recently as a member of the Advisory Council of the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Chair of the US Obesity Medicine Fellowship Council, and Past President of The Obesity Society.
Dr Kaplan graduated from Harvard University and received his MD and PhD in molecular biology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA. He completed internship, residency and fellowship training in gastroenterology and genetics at MGH and HMS. He is the author of more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific and medical public
Jacob Sten Petersen
Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark
Jacob Sten Petersen is Head of the Cell Therapy R&D Unit at Novo Nordisk and responsible for the entire R&D value chain, from research, non-clinical, clinical development, chemistry, manufacturing, and controls, and clinical manufacturing. Using Novo Nordisk’s cell therapy technology platform, he has a strong focus on developing cell therapies for people suffering from serious chronic diseases, e.g. type 1 diabetes, chronic heart failure, dry age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and chronic kidney failure.
Jacob Sten Petersen’s previous areas of responsibility in global Research and Early Development at Novo Nordisk include global therapeutic area head for diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
From 2010, he has been a Professor in biomedicine at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. He is also a chair of the board of directors of JDRF Denmark and Ketotic Hypoglycemia International.
Besides numerous presentations at international conferences, he has published approximately 70+ papers in peered-reviewed journals, mainly on topics of diabetes prediction, prevention and intervention, but also on beta cell biology, physiology, immunology and ketotic hypoglycaemia.
Vanita Aroda
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Dr Vanita Aroda is Director of Diabetes Clinical Research at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, and is Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr Aroda completed her training in internal medicine and in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of California San Diego, CA, USA.
Dr Aroda has an interest and published record in diabetes prevention and novel therapeutics in diabetes and weight management. She also has a strong interest in understanding therapeutic interventions in large multicentre clinical trials and their applicability and integration into care. Dr Aroda has years of experience in clinical trial conduct and leadership, has served as an investigator on the National Institutes of Health-funded GRADE, D2d and DPPOS studies, and as the national or international signatory Principal Investigator for multiple therapeutic clinical trials. Dr Aroda serves on the Professional Practice Committee of the American Diabetes Association.
Mikhail Kosiborod
Saint Luke’s Health System, Kansas City, MO, USA
Dr Mikhail Kosiborod is a cardiologist; Vice President of research at Saint Luke’s Health System, Kansas City, MO, USA; Executive Director of the Cardiometabolic Center Alliance, Director of cardiometabolic research and Co-Director of the Haverty Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, MO, USA; Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA; and the inaugural recipient of the Ben McCallister, MD, Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research at Saint Luke’s Health System.
Dr Kosiborod received training in clinical research, epidemiology and health policy through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars programme, as well as clinical training in cardiovascular medicine at Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. Dr Kosiborod has authored and co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications, including scientific statements and position documents. Dr Kosiborod is involved in the leadership of multiple clinical trials and multicentre registries.
Ofri Mosenzon
Hebrew University of Jerusalem Medical School and School of Public Health, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Ofri Mosenzon MD, MSc is Professor of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Epidemiology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Medical School and School of Public Health in Jerusalem, Israel.
She is board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology. She is Director of the Diabetes Clinical Research Center, Diabetes Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital.
Professor Mosenzon has been involved in more than 80 clinical trials related to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs), diabetic nephropathy and others. She is part of distinguished academic international groups leading large international CVOTs, including SAVOR-TIMI 53, DECLARE-TIMI 58 and PIONEER 6. She has published widely on a range of diabetes topics, including treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular and renal complications of diabetes. She has presented at many national and international conferences, including American Diabetes Association, Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, American Society of Nephrology, European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association, and European Association for the Study of Diabetes Scientific Sessions.
Professor Mosenzon is very involved in developing curriculums for continuing medical education for family physicians in diabetes and lecturing to medical and master’s students. She is Founder and Academic Director of the school of continuing medical education in the faculty of medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Professor Mosenzon has contributed chapters in books relating to diabetes treatment in Israel. She has many (and quickly growing numbers) of original papers, reviews, commentaries and editorials in leading peer-reviewed journals.
Andreas Liebl
Center for Diabetes and Metabolism at the Fachklinik, Bad Heilbrunn, Germany
Dr Andreas Liebl is Medical Director of the Center for Diabetes and Metabolism at the Fachklinik in Bad Heilbrunn, Germany. His research interests include insulin therapy, pharmacoeconomics, insulin pump therapy, intraperitoneal insulin therapy, and continuous glucose monitoring and other diabetes technology. He is an advisor for the German health authorities and payer organisations. Dr Liebl has been a board member of ‘Diabetes technology – insulin pumps and blood glucose sensors’, which is a working group of the German Diabetes Association (DDG). He is also Past Chair of the Diabetes Expert Commission FKDB within the DDG. Dr Liebl has been author or co-author of more than 100 national and international publications, and has delivered numerous presentations at scientific meetings all over the world.
Ildiko Lingvay
University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Dr Ildiko Lingvay is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology as well as the Department of Population and Data Sciences at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr Lingvay is Medical Director of the Office of Clinical Trials Management, overseeing all clinical trials at UT Southwestern. She is board certified in obesity medicine as well as endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism.
Dr Lingvay leads a programme that focuses on clinical research in the field of obesity and type 2 diabetes, with the ultimate goal to improve the lives of all patients who suffer so many health consequences as a result of their medical problems. Her research interests span the spectrum from pathophysiology of the disease to treatment algorithms and comparative effectiveness of various therapeutic approaches. Dr Lingvay treats patients at the UT clinics and hospitals as well as the Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dallas, TX, USA.
Dr Lingvay is an active member of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), where she has served over the years on several committees, including the organising committee for the annual scientific sessions, Focus on Fellows advisory board and Women’s Interprofessional Network ADA advisory board. She has participated in many clinical trials and has a special interest in cardiovascular outcome trials. She has authored over 110 publications in major medical journals and authored chapters in several popular diabetes textbooks.
Julia Mader
Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Dr Julia Mader is Associate Professor of Medicine at the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology at Medical University of Graz, Austria, and is Deputy Head of the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic. She received her medical degree at Medical University of Graz, where she also trained in internal medicine, and endocrinology and diabetology. From 2016 to 2017, she was Visiting Professor at the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism at the University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland. She leads the Diabetes Technology Research Unit at Medical University of Graz.
Dr Mader’s research is focused on diabetes technology with emphasis on insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring, the artificial pancreas and decision support systems for the treatment of diabetes. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and serves as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare. She has received several national and international awards in the field of diabetes technology. In 2021, she was awarded with the Langerhans Award of the Austrian Diabetes Association. Dr Mader is a member of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, the Austrian Society for Internal Medicine, the Austrian Diabetes Association and the Austrian Society for Endocrinology. She is also a management board member of the Austrian Diabetes Society, within which she heads the Diabetes Education Committee and is a member of the Diabetes Technology Committee. Dr Mader has authored and co-authored several national guidelines in the field.
Klara Owen
Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark
Klara Owen is the senior medical director medically responsible for all projects in type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the Cell Therapy R&D Transformational Research Unit (TRU), Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark. She holds an MD degree from the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Her PhD, from the same university, centred around the dynamic interplay between weight change and glycaemic and lipid metabolism. She is also board certified in internal medicine and diabetology, as well as holding an MSc in drug development science from King’s College, London, UK.
After 12 years of both in- and outpatient practice in internal medicine and obesity/type 2 diabetes, for the last 5 years as Consultant Diabetologist, Klara joined Novo Nordisk A/S in Copenhagen, Denmark, to support treat-to-target diabetes clinical trials with design and surveillance of trial execution. She then moved to the newly formed obesity division, focusing on translation from research into clinical development for a number of novel obesity treatment compounds. Klara subsequently joined Zealand Pharma, supporting the development of short-acting glucagon analogue for a congenital hyperinsulinism indication and a dual hormone artificial pancreas collaboration with BetaBionics, Boston, MA, USA.
Recently, Klara joined the cell therapy TRU to support the research and translational work of developing human embryonic stem cell-derived islet clusters for treatment, and potentially cure, of T1D. In addition to her work on the T1D projects, she supports the pre-project portfolio in a number of other indications, while continuing to be a passionate advocate of listening to patient perspectives to modify, change or re-prioritise development programmes.
Abd Tahrani
International Medical Vice President, Obesity & NASH, Clinical Drug Development Novo Nordisk, Søborg, Denmark
Abd Tahrani is currently International Medical Vice President, Obesity & NASH, Clinical Drug Development, Novo Nordisk in Søborg, Denmark. He is also an honorary senior lecturer in metabolic endocrinology and obesity medicine at the University of Birmingham and an honorary consultant in endocrinology, diabetes and weight management at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
Prior to joining Novo Nordisk in July 2021, Abd was the lead for translational research at the Centre of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners; the chair of the clinical committee of the Association for the Study of Obesity UK; and the chair of the Type 2 Diabetes Research Steering Group for Diabetes UK. He also was a panel member of the Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition Focus Area of the European Society for Endocrinology; the British Sleep Society Research Committee; the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit programme and NIHR Dissemination panels; the Obesity Policy Engagement Network UK; the clinical committee of the Society for Endocrinology; and the strategic council of the Obesity All Party Parliamentary Group. Abd also served as an expert advisor to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technology appraisals in obesity and neuropathy. Abd held several editorial roles including the associate editor for the European Journal of Endocrinology and the senior editor for BMC Endocrine Disorders.
Abd received several awards, including NIHR Research Training Fellowship (2008), NIHR Clinician Scientist (2012), the American Academy of Sleep Medicine young investigator award in obstructive sleep apnoea research (2013), and SCOPE national and international fellowships from the World Obesity Federation (2014 and 2020), amongst others. Abd obtained more than £4 million in grants funding to support his research themes, which included: 1) the metabolic consequences of sleep-related disorders; 2) obesity management and healthcare delivery; and 3) diabetes-related neuropathy.
Abd has published over 180 peer-reviewed articles and delivered more than 110 invited talks in the leading conferences in diabetes, obesity, endocrinology and sleep globally.
Gerard Kees Hovingh
Senior Medical Officer, Global Medical Affairs, Novo Nordisk A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
Gerard Kees Hovingh has served as Senior Medical Officer, originally in the Global Chief Medical Office, and now Global Medical Affairs at Novo Nordisk in Copenhagen, Denmark since 2019. In this role, his responsibilities include defining and driving the R&D cardiovascular disease (CVD) strategy to address clinical needs for individuals living with obesity, CVD, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. He is involved in the evaluation of the clinical value of products and services at different stages of development, ranging from preclinical idea generation to leveraging the clinical value of marketed products. Kees is a member of a number of clinical trial steering committees, including ZEUS, SELECT, SOUL, Step-HF and the ATTR Phase 2 trial.
Kees received his medical degree in 2000, his PhD in 2005 and his MBA degree in 2016 from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He is a full professor, internist and vascular medicine specialist at the Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Amsterdam (UMCA), the Netherlands. Kees was Co-chair of the department of internal medicine at UMCA in 2016–2019, and in his role as Head of the clinical trial unit (2012–2019), he has been involved in a large number of clinical trials, mainly focused on novel therapies to address dyslipidaemia, thrombosis and haemophilia. His research focuses on genetics and molecular biology in CVD, and he did a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Genetics in Boston, MA, USA. Kees co-authored over 300 publications (Scholar h-index: 91) and was named by Thomson Reuters in 2019 as the top 1% most cited researchers.
Peter Kurtzhals
Chief Scientific Advisor, R&D, Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark
Peter Kurtzhals is Chief Scientific Advisor for Novo Nordisk R&D. He holds a PhD degree from the Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, Denmark, and has been a visiting scientist at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. He was appointed Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2012. Peter joined Novo Nordisk in 1990. He was Senior Vice-President and Head of Novo Nordisk’s global research organisation from 2001 to 2018. In April 2018, he was appointed Chief Scientific Advisor for Novo Nordisk R&D. Furthermore, he is a member of various boards and committees, and he chairs the research policy committee of the Danish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Stephen Gough
Senior Vice President, Global Chief Medical Officer, Global Medical Affairs, Novo Nordisk A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
Stephen Gough joined Novo Nordisk A/S in Copenhagen, Denmark as Senior Principal Clinical Scientist in 2015 in the Chief Medical Office, to provide advice and clinical guidance on the development of new molecules and drugs, from early through to phase 3 and beyond, for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. In 2018, he became Senior Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer, and in 2021 also became responsible for Global Medical Affairs.
Prior to joining Novo Nordisk, Stephen was Head of the Oxford Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Oxford, UK and served as Professor of Diabetes to the University of Oxford and Consultant Physician at the Oxford University of Hospitals NHS Trust. He was also the Diabetes Clinical Lead for the Local Clinical Research Network and the Academic Health Science Network in Oxford.
Stephen’s research interests have resided in the fields of the genetics of autoimmune disease, glucose homeostasis, incretin biology in pancreas whole organ and islet transplantation, and clinical trials of GLP-1-based therapies. Since joining Novo Nordisk, he has supported a number of activities and provided senior medical opinion in diabetes, obesity and biopharmaceuticals.