Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that results in destruction of the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas. Even with insulin therapy, maintaining glucose control is extremely difficult for patients because insulin needs vary depending on a number of variables including food intake, stress, and exercise. An artificial pancreas (AP) is a system that combines the insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to quickly respond to fluctuations in blood sugars by changing insulin rates. My research focuses on implementing the AP system during various exercise modalities in the laboratory and eventually in a field setting. The importance of my research is to increase the overall quality of life of athletes with T1D and reduce the need for patients to know exactly how their blood sugars are reacting to activity, food, and stress. Research has shown that depending on the type/length of exercise, different insulin adjustments are needed to maintain target blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar can lead to dizziness and if left untreated can ultimately result in seizures and death. The leading barrier to exercise is a fear of low blood sugar and insulin pumps can help lower the risk of, but not entirely eliminate it. The hypothesis of my doctoral work is that a properly designed AP that adjusts insulin rates during exercise will improve overall blood sugar control. I will recruit ~200 T1D individuals over the four year study. My project will begin with collecting participants' anthropometrics, overall fitness measurements, and using the AP during various exercise intensities and durations. Each type of activity will require different adjustments in insulin rates during and post-exercise. The following projects will use the AP system in a sports camp setting where insulin doses will be adjusted based on a real-life scenario. My research will use a number of strategies in AP development for active patients with T1D.