The Corner Booth

Illustration by @llnere Have you ever imagined playing a being from outer space, flying around the far reaches of the galaxy, all while managing your type 1 diabetes (T1D) under a heavy load of prosthetics and makeup? Leave it to Noah Averbach-Katz , the New York-based 30-something actor who landed the role of the flaxen-haired, blue-skinned character Ryn on the third season of TV show "Star Trek: Discovery" streaming on CBS All Access. He's been living with T1D since 2003, when he was in eighth grade. He also happens to be married to fellow Discovery actor Mary Wiseman , who plays red-haired fan-fave character Ensign Tilley. The two met at the prestigious Juilliard School for performing arts. As a self-pronounced Trekkie since childhood, Averbach-Katz says being on the show is a dream come true and a career highlight. Fun fact: He originally auditioned for the legendary character Spock (famously played by the late Leonard Nimoy in the original 1970s ...

UPDATE: Tidepool received FDA clearance on Jan. 23, 2023 Tidepool Loop, a first-of-its-kind app that will connect with a variety of compatible insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to automate insulin dosing, has been submitted for FDA approval . This is big, Diabetes Friends, because new automated insulin delivery (AID) systems are the future of diabetes care, and because the Tidepool Loop project represents over two years of development work aimed at bringing do-it-yourself (DIY) "artificial pancreas" innovation into an official, FDA-regulated product that will be broadly available via the iOS app store. To date, the diabetes startup has focused on building a cloud-based platform that lets people collect and jointly review data from different glucose meters, insulin pumps, and CGMs. As of early 2021, that entails over 50 different devices along with the ability to upload and interact with that data. The new Tidepool Loop innovation continues ...

Dr. Denise Faustman is known in many circles as one of the most controversial figures in type 1 diabetes (T1D) cure research . She's raised millions of dollars and waves of hope with her work but has also been effectively shunned by the research community. Yet she barrels forward with her innovative vaccine-based approach to a cure, never letting naysayers deter her. This is her story. Motivated as a child Born in Royal Oak, Michigan , Dr. Faustman now leads the Immunobiology Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School in Boston.  As a child, Faustman recalls how much she disliked her pediatrician’s general tone and approach. “He was really severe and didn’t talk much,” says Faustman. “I thought I could do a better job than this guy.” And so she set out to become a doctor, doing a great deal of research throughout high school and college. Over the course of a decade after college, Faustman earned her MD, PhD, and post...

2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the most important and impactful event for many in the Diabetes Community: the discovery of the life-sustaining liquid that would transform this condition from a death sentence into a manageable condition for millions worldwide. Insulin was discovered in 1921 by Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best. But marking a century since that amazing development involves more than honoring these pioneers. In fact, the Defining Moments Canada Insulin 100 team leading this historical initiative is adamant that a series of events from 1920 to 1923 actually mark insulin's brightest initial moments, leading to where we are now. The ironic and unfortunate reality is that today, many people can't afford the lifesaving insulin they need. Some are forced to ration, even to the point of death. It's a fact that would no doubt have Banting and Best rolling over in their graves. “It’s all very emotional, especially this year,” said Rebe...