Breakthrough T1D CRC 2026 Preview  – 

Executive Highlights

  • The inaugural Breakthrough T1D Clinical & Research Congress (CRC) will take place in Philadelphia, PA, from October 9-11. See the conference website, agenda, and registration. The conference has three thematic tracks with content in each track scheduled across all three days of the meeting.
  • Day #1 will spotlight rapidly evolving areas in T1D, spanning cell therapy, AI, early detection, and next-generation diabetes technology. We are particularly excited for early clinical data on cell replacement approaches, including hypoimmune allogeneic islets without immunosuppression, alongside discussions of how AI could reshape T1D care, prevention, and clinical implementation. Three oral sessions will provide a deeper look at emerging cell therapies, population-based screening and monitoring, and advances in AID, including fully closed-loop insulin delivery and the next-generation Omnipod algorithm. The day will culminate with the opening session with a welcome from Dr. Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill,Dr. Sanjoy Dutta, and Dr. and Dr. Thomas Danne (Breakthrough T1D Conference Chairs), a talk form Dr. Aaron Kowalski (Breakthrough T1D),  and a keynote lecture from Prof. Chantal Mathieu’s (KU Leuven, Belgium) on “Changing the Future T1D Paradigm.”  
  • Day #2 will turn toward translating breakthroughs into real-world T1D care, with a strong emphasis on disease-modifying therapies, screening, access, and implementation. Dr. Michael Haller (University of Florida) will provide a keynote bridging T1D research, clinical care, and lived experience, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Jay Skyler (Diabetes Research Institute). We are especially interested in discussions of how disease-modifying therapies can be implemented and reimbursed in routine practice, alongside a global look at barriers to accessing life-changing T1D treatments. Later sessions will explore global treatment access, quality improvement, and AI-enabled personalized medicine, before the day closes with real-world approaches to T1D screening, cost-effectiveness, monitoring, and follow-up. 
  • Day #3 will close the congress by looking toward the future of T1D treatment, screening, and technology. A highly anticipated debate will pit disease modification against replacement therapy, while a parallel session will examine the expanding role of adjunctive therapies such as GLP-1 RAs and SGLT-2 inhibitors in T1D. Technology will remain front and center through presentations on advanced screening, polygenic risk scores, at-home genetic risk assessment, digital twins, AI-enabled insulin dosing, and emerging artificial pancreas approaches. Finally, experts will consider whether technology, therapeutics, or a combination of both will be needed to address acute and chronic T1D complications, including hypoglycemia and kidney and cardiovascular-metabolic health.

The inaugural Breakthrough T1D Clinical & Research Congress (CRC) will take place in Philadelphia, PA, from October 9-11, 2026. See the conference website, agenda, and registration. 

Friday, October 9

  •  (2:40 – 3:40 pm) Clinical Trials in T1D Cell Therapy: What Early Data Are Teaching Us. This session opens with Dr. Piotr Witkowski (University of Chicago) presenting on islet transplantation with anti-CD40L mAb (tegoprubart) for patients with T1D. Next, we are eagerly anticipating hearing Prof. Per-Ola Carlsson (Uppsala University, Sweden) discuss long-term survival of hypoimmune allogeneic islets without immunosuppression. Finally, Prof. Julie Kerr-Conte (University of Lille, France) will discuss how to predict the clinical potency of an islet cell product.
  •  (2:40 – 3:40 pm) AI Revolution: Redefining the Future T1D Care Model? Given that AI is such a hot topic in diabetes care at the moment, we are excited to share insights from Prof. Tadej Battelino (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia) on how AI can be used to enhance T1D care. Next, Dr. Todd Brusko (University of Florida) will discuss how AI can be used to improve T1D prevention efforts through immune profiling data. Finally, Dr. Juan Espinoza (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles) will highlight clinical implementation of AI. 
  • (3:50 – 4:50 pm) Orals 01: Cell Therapy Science & Clinical. In this afternoon session, we are eager to hear from Dr. Leonardo Velazco-Cruz’s (Century Tx) presentation on Century Therapeutics’ Allo-evasion 5.0-engineered induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) beta islets. We are also excited to hear Mr. Deep Kapadia (University of Wisconsin-Madison) discuss the use of islet vascularized extracellular matrix organoids to improve islet survival. 
  • (3:50 – 4:50 pm) Orals 02: Early Detection and Monitoring. This session will explore emerging approaches to identifying, communicating, and monitoring early-stage T1D through population-based screening. Dr. Lauren Quinn (University of Birmingham, UK) will discuss families’ experiences following an early-stage T1D diagnosis within a population screening program, while Dr. Rabbi Swaby (University of Oxford, UK) will present a practical alternative to the oral glucose tolerance test for early detection of T1D in children. Next, Dr. Mia Majstorovic (Adelaide University, Australia) will explore the perspectives and experiences of children, young people, and caregivers undergoing monitoring for islet autoimmunity, while Dr. Nicholas Thomas (University of Exeter, UK) will present models for distinguishing single-islet-autoantibody-positive adults at high risk for T2D who may not require insulin within three years of diagnosis. Finally, Dr. Francesca Ulivi (Fondazione Italiana Diabete, Italy) will discuss perspectives from people living with T1D on how early-stage T1D screening should be communicated.
  • (4:05 – 4:55 pm) Orals 03: Emerging Diabetes Technologies. This session will highlight emerging approaches to AID and insulin monitoring. Dr. Marcela Moscoso (University of Virginia) will present real-time tracking of meal absorption and insulin sensitivity during fully closed-loop insulin delivery without meal announcements, while Dr. Robert Vigersky (MiniMed) will share nine-week home-study findings on the efficacy and safety of the MiniMed fully closed-loop system. Dr. Maren Schinz (Beyond Diagnostics, Switzerland) will discuss direct measurement of insulin activity at the point of use. Finally, Dr. Gregory Forlenza (University of Colorado) will present results from the STRIVE trial evaluating a next-generation Omnipod algorithm in children, adolescents, and adults with T1D.
  •  (5– 5:45 pm) Opening Session. We particularly look forward to the opening session of the first annual conference, featuring remarks from Dr. Aaron Kowalski (Breakthrough T1D),  followed by what promises to be a conference highlight, the opening lecture from Prof. Chantal Mathieu (KU Leuven, Belgium) on “Changing the Future T1D Paradigm,” setting the stage for the meeting’s discussions on the evolving landscape of T1D care and research.

Saturday, October 10

  • (10:35 – 11:05 am) Mind the Gap: Keynote Lecture. We look forward to this keynote from Dr. Michael Haller (University of Florida), who will deliver Saturday’s keynote lecture on bridging perspectives across T1D research, clinical care, and the experiences of people living with T1D.
  • (11:40 am – 12:40 pm) Disease-Modifying Therapies in the Wild: Reimbursement Models for Immunotherapies. This session will explore how disease-modifying therapies can be integrated into real-world T1D care. Dr. Carla Demeterco-Berggren (UC San Diego) will share lessons from implementing these therapies through leadership engagement and the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative, while Dr. Kimber Simmons (University of Colorado) will discuss supporting early-stage T1D across diverse clinical settings. Finally, Dr. Daniel DeSalvo (Baylor College of Medicine) will discuss EHR-enabled T1D screening as a pathway from identification to intervention in the era of disease-modifying therapy.
  • (11:40 am – 12:40 pm) Breaking Barriers: Expanding Global Access to Life-Changing Treatments. This session will examine barriers to T1D care and emerging treatments in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Partha Kar (Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, UK) will provide an overview of T1D in these settings, followed by perspectives from Dr. Carlos Antillón (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico) and Princess Padmaja Parmar (The Friends of Mewar, India) on expanding access from both clinician and lived-experience perspectives. Prof. David Beran (University of Geneva, Switzerland) will close with an advocacy and policy perspective.
  •  (1:40 – 2:40 pm) Orals 06: Global Accessibility to Treatments. In what we are sure will be a very informative session, Dr. Robin Lucciantonio (University of Alberta, Canada) will present on islet transplantation, and Ms. Dulce Canha (Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg) will present on diabetes distress. The session will close with Prof. Amy Killelea’s (Georgetown University) discussion of access and coverage for CGM in the private insurance market. 
  •  (2:50 – 3:50 pm) Orals 09: Quality Improvement and Implementation Science. In this highly anticipated session, Prof. Partha Kar (Portsmouth Hospitals, UK) will discuss transforming T1D care across a country. This jam-packed session also features presentations from Dr. Martina Rothenbühler (Diabetes Center Berne, Switzerland) on menstrual-cycle-related changes in glycemia, and Dr. Mindy Lee (Stanford University) on reduced-cadence remote monitoring. AI has been a major topic this year and beyond, and we are also looking forward to hearing Dr. Katharine Barnard-Kelly (Spotlight-AQ, UK) discuss AI-driven interventions for cost-effective personalized medicine. 
  •  (5:30 – 6:30 pm) After the Consensus: Changing the Course of T1D Through Real-World Screening and Monitoring. Saturday will close with a highly anticipated session opened by Dr. Anastasia Albanese-O'Neill (Breakthrough T1D). She will discuss early identification and screening. Next, Dr. Kirstine Bell (The University of Sydney, Australia) will discuss the cost-effectiveness of screening from the Australian perspective. The session will close on the important topic of monitoring and follow-up for screened individuals, presented by Dr. Rachel Besser (University of Oxford, UK).

Sunday, October 11

  •  (8:30 – 9:30 am) Debate: Disease Modification Versus Replacement Therapy in T1D. We are eagerly anticipating this sure-to-be exciting debate with Prof. Colin Dayan (University of Birmingham, UK) arguing for disease modification, and Dr. Peter Senior (Alberta Diabetes Institute, Canada) arguing for replacement. We are curious to see if the debaters find a middle ground and discuss the value of personalized treatments. 
  •  (8:30 – 9:30 am) Adjunctive Therapies for T1D: Expanding the Toolkit. GLP-1 RA and SGLT-2 use for people with T1D is a hot topic, and we are eagerly looking forward to hearing insights from experts in the field. We are very interested in hearing from Dr. Ebaa S. Al Ozairi (Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait) on GLP-RA use for people with T1D, Dr. Anders Carlson (International Diabetes Center) on SGLT inhibitor therapies for glucometabolic control in T1D, and Dr. Janet Snell-Bergeon on other metabolic challenges in T1D. 
  •  (9:35 – 10:35 am) Orals 11: Advanced Screening Technologies. The final day of the congress will continue with a focus on how technology can improve screening. Dr. Katsiaryna Prystupa (Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum, Germany) will open the session with a presentation on endotypes for adult-onset T1D. Dr. Callie J. Zaborenko (Indiana University) will also discuss polygenic risk scores, and Mr. Yuta Matsuda (T1D Scout) will explain a scalable model for a remote at-home program to assess genetic risk. Finally, the session will close with a talk from Dr. Brittany Bruggeman (University of Florida) on pancreatic decline progression. 
  • (9:35 – 10:35 am) Orals 12: AI and Informatics / Emerging Diabetes Technologies. This session will highlight emerging applications of AI and digital technologies in T1D, including neural-network insulin dosing and digital twins. Dr. Guy Fagherazzi (Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg) will present the SFD1 digital twin study, while Drs. Jacopo Pavan and María Villa-Tamayo (University of Virginia) will discuss integrating and validating digital twins for AID. Additional presentations will explore AI-based artificial pancreas systems and molecular approaches to preventing hypoglycemia.
  • (11:05 – 12:05 pm) Acute and Chronic Complications: Will Technology or Therapeutics Win - Or Do We Need Both? This session will explore strategies to reduce T1D complications, from technology to adjunctive therapies. Dr. Pratik Choudhary (University of Leicester, UK) will discuss intrusive hypoglycemia and approaches to reduce its burden, while Dr. Ian de Boer (University of Washington) will examine the risks and benefits of off-label therapies for kidney protection. Finally, Dr. Katelyn O’Brien (Boston Medical Center) will discuss the role of the diabetology pharmacist in improving cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health. 

- Allison Platt, Kayla Mathieu, Monica Oxenreiter, and Kelly Close

Breakthrough T1D CRC 2026 Preview -
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