Our Symposium and Seminars
The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center is pleased to host specialized events that foster collaboration, support, and shared discovery within the greater diabetes research and patient care community.
Frontiers in Diabetes Research
The Frontiers in Diabetes Research Symposium held at the Berrie Center each November for more than two decades, has gathered over 2,500 physicians, scientists, students, fellows, faculty, and other diabetes professionals from 70 institutions in a spirit of collaboration and discovery. Over the years, more than 100 speakers from 50 institutions have given lectures on topics that include the immunobiology of type 1 diabetes, trends in stem cell research, molecular genetics of diabetes, the biology of the beta cell, and more.
Each year, the recipients of the Naomi Berrie Awards for Achievement in Diabetes Research are announced at the Frontiers Symposium. The Berrie Awards have provided critical seed funding to more than 30 of the world’s most promising diabetes researchers. One award supports a two-year fellowship for a diabetes researcher at Columbia University. To promote collaboration with other organizations and scientists, a second, extramural award is granted to an established scientist who has accomplished outstanding achievement in research related to diabetes. This award is made in support of a two-year fellowship for a post-doctoral student to continue an aspect of his or her research. Through the continued generosity of the Russell Berrie Foundation, a third award, known as the Berrie Scholar Award, was added in 2013.
Designed to accomplish three goals—foster the training of young scientists, recognize the achievements of senior scientists, and advance research for a diabetes cure—the Berrie Awards and Frontiers Symposium have been emulated by universities across the country.