The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center held its 9th Annual Research Retreat on October 31, 2025, in the Medical Education Research Facility. Faculty, trainees, and collaborators gathered for a dynamic half-day program focused on scientific discovery, trainee engagement, and continued growth across the Center’s research programs.

The retreat opened with welcome remarks from the Interim Co-Directors Andrew Norris, MD, PhD, and Kamal Rahmouni, PhD. The morning session highlighted innovative work supported by the FOEDRC through Catalyst Grants, with presentations from Adele Stewart, PhD, on mechanisms driving dopamine transporter dysregulation in obesity, and Brandon Davies, PhD, on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiac triglyceride uptake and insulin sensitivity.

This year’s keynote speaker was Kristen Nadeau, MD, MS, Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Vice Chair for Clinical Translational Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Nadeau gave a compelling talk titled, “Similarities and Differences Between Pathophysiology and Treatment Responses in Youth-onset vs. Adult-onset Type 2 Diabetes.” Her presentation provided important clinical and mechanistic insights into the growing prevalence of youth-onset diabetes and its implications for long-term care.

During the lunch session, attendees explored a T32 Trainee Poster Session, featuring work from Alex Keyes, PhD, Anna Leinheiser, PhD, Bertha Martin, PhD, and Kyle Baum, DO, spanning topics from neural regulation of pain to mitochondrial dynamics under hyperglycemia and metabolic impacts of retatrutide.

The afternoon continued with presentations from this year’s Bridge to the Cure recipients. Bing Li, PhD, discussed targeting FABP4 in obesity-associated disease, and Ajit Vikram, PhD, presented work on improving glycemic control using a γ-peptide-nucleic-acid-based miR-122 inhibitor. Additional oral presentations from T32 Trainees Adam Corkery, PhD, and Jamal Naderi, PhD, highlighted emerging research in gestational diabetes and adipocyte function.

The retreat concluded with updates from the Center for Gene Therapy and VA Research, delivered by Amy Ryan, PhD, who shared progress related to cystic-fibrosis-related diabetes and precision medicine initiatives, and Mark Yorek, PhD, who provided an overview of restructuring activities within the Iowa City, VA Research program.