Raghuram Nagarathna, MD, FRCP, DSc, has been selected to receive the American Diabetes Association’s® (ADA’s) 2019 Vivian Fonseca and Nagendran Family Diabetes Research Award. This award, given in memory of Mr. P. Nagendran, promotes and recognizes diabetes research focused on the South Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations, and/or research by a scientist from these areas. The Award honors the contributions of Dr. Vivian Fonseca, a former ADA President, Medicine & Science and the Tullis-Tulane Alumni Chair in Diabetes, Professor of Medicine Chief in the Section of Endocrinology at Tulane University School of Medicine. During his many years of service to the organization and the diabetes community, Dr. Fonseca served as a mentor and role model to many researchers and clinicians in the continuing quest for advances in diabetes care. Dr. Raghuram will be recognized with this honor during the ADA’s 79th Scientific Sessions, June 7–11, 2019, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. She will deliver the Vivian Fonseca and Nagendran Family Diabetes Research Award Presentation, “Diabetes Prevention through Yoga-Based Lifestyle: A Pan-India Randomized Controlled Trial,” on Saturday, June 8.
“Thank you, Dr. Nagarathna, for your tireless efforts to improve treatment and outcomes for people with diabetes in underserved populations and poor countries,” said the ADA’s 2019 President of Medicine and Science Louis H. Philipson, MD, PhD, FACP. “Your innovative work has had an impressive impact on the lives of many people. Congratulations on this honor.”
Dr. Nagarathna is the Medical Director of Arogyadhama Naturopathy and Yoga Clinic, a 250-bed teaching hospital of integrative medicine that combines an evidence-based Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy (IAYT, including disease specific asanas, breathing techniques, meditation, yogic diet, and yogic counseling) with modern medicine, Ayurveda, naturopathy, acupuncture, and physiotherapy offered to patients with different noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), under the supervision of a team of experts in each of these specialties.
She also serves as a distinguished professor in the medical college, guides PhD students, and works as the principal investigator for many funded yoga-related clinical projects of the Vivekananda (S-VYASA) University in South Bengaluru, India. She is a member of yoga-related policy making national committees of the World Health Organization, Niti Aayog, university grants commission, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), and the Indian Yoga Association.
Dr. Nagarathna has authored more than 60 publications in peer reviewed high impact journals, written 12 books, published DVDs, and given TV serials on yoga for different NCDs including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, spinal problems, and women’s health issues.
The Vivian Fonseca and Nagendran Family Diabetes Research Award is given in memory of Mr. P. Nagendran and funded by a grant from Suku Nagendran, MD, and Anne Nagendran.
The American Diabetes Association’s 79th Scientific Sessions, the world’s largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention and care, will be held June 7-11, 2019, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Nearly 15,000 leading physicians, scientists, health care professionals and industry representatives from around the world are expected to convene at the Scientific Sessions to unveil cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations and advances toward a cure for diabetes. During the five-day meeting, attendees will receive exclusive access to more than 850 presentations and 2,000 original research presentations, participate in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts, and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Education (CE) credits for educational sessions. The program is grouped into eight thematic areas: Acute and Chronic Complications; Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education and Exercise; Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics; Epidemiology/Genetics; Immunology/Transplantation; Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism; Integrated Physiology/Obesity; and Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion. Gretchen Youssef, MS, RDN, CDE, President of Health Care and Education, will deliver her address, “It’s All about Access!,” on Saturday, June 8, and Louis H. Philipson, MD, PhD, FACP, President of Medicine and Science, will deliver his lecture, “Precision Medicine—Addressing the Many Faces of Diabetes,” on Sunday, June 9. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on social media using #ADA2019.
About the American Diabetes Association
Every day more than 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes in America. Nearly 115 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes and are striving to manage their lives while living with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For nearly 80 years the ADA has been driving discovery and research to treat, manage and prevent diabetes, while working relentlessly for a cure. We help people with diabetes thrive by fighting for their rights and developing programs, advocacy and education designed to improve their quality of life. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Information is available in English and Spanish. Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).
