Virtual Slipstream 2023

Anne Marie MacDonald

Anne Marie MacDonald, MD, MSc is a medical and research professional who advocates for chronic disease self-management, preventive medicine, and healthy active living. She holds an M.D and an M.Sc. and currently manages the research portfolio for JDRF Canada. Dr. MacDonald has been living with T1D for over 30 years, is an Ironman triathlete and marathon runner, and loves helping other T1Ds reach their athletic goals.

Ciara Stevens

Ciara has been living with T1D for 25 years. She works in Diabetes Education as a Registered Nurse. She is passionate about the power of community and mental health for those who live with Diabetes.

Lauren Newman

Lauren Newman, RD, LD, CDCES, CEDS is passionate about helping individuals with diabetes make peace with food and their bodies. She completed her undergraduate education and her dietetic internship at The University of Texas at Austin, then spent several years supporting individuals in residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment. She now owns and operates her own private practice specialized in diabetes care. Lauren uses her training as a Diabetes Educator (CDCES) and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS) to help individuals with diabetes connect to their body’s needs, and learn to respond without rigidity, restriction, or shame.

Charles Woodford

CJ is a research associate at the University of Victoria and an educational content developer for a Canadian non-profit. Having had his T1D and other aspects of his identity used against him in school, work, and social settings, he has developed a passion for better, more inclusive communities. CJ has been investigating intersectional communities of care through his Master’s of Library and Information Science program.

Sam Tullman

Sam Tullman, MPH, is one of the facilitators and co-founders of the DiabetesSangha. He was diagnosed with T1D at eight years old, and has been on a long arc of trying to understand the human experience and learn how to support meaningful and helpful experiences ever since, through the lenses of both science and meditative practice. He is a dedicated student of Rinzai Zen, but draws heavily in his practice from other Buddhist traditions, as well as modern Western psychology and Neuroscience. In his professional life, he is a researcher and consultant working primarily in the topics of emergence (“spiritual” or “altered" experiences) and contemplation, with a focus on EEG (electrical activity of the brain) and other brain-computer interfaces.

Leah Groppo

Leah Groppo, RD, MS, BC-ADM, CDCES graduated from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition. Leah completed her dietetic internship at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire and her Masters of Science in Nutrition at Arizona State University. For her first job, she worked for a federally qualified community health center, where she discovered her passion for working in diabetes self-management. She saw directly how blood glucose control – along with diet and lifestyle changes – makes a big impact on improving the lives of her patients.Leah has experience counseling patients on how to achieve their health goals, interpret pump and cgm data focused on customized diabetes management. At Stanford, she teaches diabetes education classes, attends one-on-one appointments, teaches fellows and medical students and mentor’s interns. Leah is board certified in advanced diabetes management.

Anita Sabidi

Anita Sabidi is an artist, illustrator and designer with a passion for increasing diabetes awareness through her art. Anita works closely with several Indonesian diabetes communities (IKADAR and PERSADIA), designs diabetes art installations, and creates child friendly diabetes illustrations to help better the understanding of diabetes in families.

Jessica Kichler

Dr. Jessica Kichler, CDCES, Ph.D., C.Psych, is a Clinical and Health Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor, who specializes in clinical intervention research focusing on psychosocial adjustment and coping with type 1 diabetes. She previously worked as a diabetes psychologist and certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) at two academic medical centers (Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center) in the United States for almost 15 years before starting at the University of Windsor in the summer of 2020. In addition, she is interested in how to most effectively support college-aged students with type 1 diabetes transition into young adulthood.

Lissie Poyner

Meet Lissie, an Integrative Diabetes Health Coach and creator of the Needles and Spoons Health & Wellness Coaching Experiences. Lissie helps overwhelmed Type One Diabetics gain more predictability in their blood sugars so they can finally take their plans off hold and welcome new life experiences. Lissie's signature 360 degree approach to coaching creates a proactive space in taking you from confused to confident in your blood sugar management.

Gary Scheiner

Gary Scheiner is owner and Clinical Director of Integrated Diabetes Services, a practice located just outside of Philadelphia specializing in intensive insulin therapy and advanced education for children and adults. Gary has been a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist since 1995 and has had Type-1 diabetes since 1985. Gary was named 2014 Diabetes Educator of the Year by the American Association of Diabetes Educators. He has written seven books, including the best-selling “Think Like A Pancreas-A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes With Insulin”. He lectures nationally and internationally for people with diabetes as well as professionals in the healthcare industry.

Kelly Six

Kelly is a registered dietitian in Seattle, Washington specializing in diabetes and eating disorders. She's lived with type 1 diabetes for almost 30 years which has driven her towards supporting others with type 1 who are looking to heal their relationship with food and their body. Her approach centers around weight-inclusive diabetes care, HAES, and intuitive eating principles. Her ultimate goal is to guide my clients to find wellness, peace with food, and respect for their bodies in ways that can last.

Allison Nimlos

Allison Nimlos is a licensed associate marriage and family therapist in Minneapolis, MN. She works in private practice where she specializes in chronic illness, particularly type 1 diabetes. Allison's passion for individuals and families affected by diabetes comes from living with type 1 diabetes for 25 years. Allison also enjoys working around issues of anxiety, depression, relationships and family conflict. Prior to her work as a therapist, she was Assistant Editor at DiabetesMine.com and has been a freelance writer on diabetes for more than a decade. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and toddler son.

Becky Marvel

Becky Marval has been living with T1D since she was 9 years old. An occupational therapist, health team lead, and private diabetes educator, she jumps at any opportunity to engage with folks in the diabetes community... especially through Connected in Motion!

Ginger Vieira

Ginger Vieira has lived with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease since 1999 and fibromyalgia since 2014. She is the author of several books, including Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes, Dealing with Diabetes Burnout, Emotional Eating with Diabetes, When I Go Low (for kids) and Ain't Gonna Hide My T1D! (for kids). After 15 years of creating content for many websites, including DiabetesMine, BeyondType1, Healthline, DiabetesStrong, and more, Ginger has joined T1D Exchange as the Associate Director of Communications. Her background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in professional writing and certifications in coaching, personal training, and Ashtanga yoga.

Lisa deMolitor

Lisa is a Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator from the Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia. She loves talking about food, thinking about food and eating food. She is also excited about diabetes tech (learning and troubleshooting) and interested in how to help folks relieve diabetes distress. She had 3 kids in 2 years (hectic but fun); she and her partner Nick enjoy getting them all out into the bike trails, hiking adventures and paddling.

Linxi Mytkolli

Linxi Mytkolli is passionate about building bridges between people with lived experience and research, with the goal of improving the lives of communities on the ground. She has over 8 years of experience in participatory research, city building, youth wellbeing, and sustainability in healthcare.As a person living with T1D, she joined Diabetes Action Canada as a Patient Partner in research over a year ago, and recently joined in a new capacity as the Lead of Patient Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization. Prior to joining DAC, she was a Senior Program Manager supporting a national suicide prevention and life promotion program with the Mental Health Commission of Canada. In this work, she focused on centering the wisdom of those with lived and living experience, while also translating findings from academic partners into tangible tools for the participating communities. Linxi holds a Bachelor of Science in Biopharmaceutical Sciences (uOttawa) and a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto. Outside of work, she dedicates her time to volunteering on the JDRF Mental Health Advisory Board and the People for Education National Advisory Committee.

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