Every year, IPTN hosts a scientific conference focused around a theme related to therapeutic nutrition.
International in scope, the IPTN's scientific conference highlights current research and advances in clinical practice related to therapeutic nutrition. The agenda is shaped by IPTN’s Scientific Advisory Committee and the event is coordinated and accredited by the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine's Continuing Professional Development.
For it’s 4th annual virtual conference, the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition (IPTN) has curated a group of international experts who will address different conceptual, ethical and practical facets of supporting patients to pursue remission as a clinical goal using therapeutic nutrition and other lifestyle approaches. Presenters include practitioners who are familiar with the barriers and challenges of making remission services an accessible option for interested patients. They will offer tips and tricks for clinicians who aspire to a new standard of clinical care for type 2 diabetes
Register by September 29th
Delegate
$150
Residents & Students
$75
Register After September 29th
Delegate
$199
Residents & Students
$95
Please join us in advancing the conversation about remission as a clinical reality in Canadian healthcare.
7.0 Mainpro+/MOC Section 1 Credits
Conference Agenda
8:30am - 4:30pm PST
Session 1
Putting patients in the driver's seat: Using shared-decision making to support patient choice in diabetes remission options
Dr. Dina Griauzde
Dr. Griauzde is a general internist, Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, and health services researcher focused on developing, evaluating, and scaling strategies to improve obesity treatment in primary care settings. Her work is supported by an NIH/NIDDK K23 award. She is Research Director for Michigan Medicine’s Weight Navigation Program (WNP), a clinical-research initiative that aims to enhance primary care patients’ access to preference-sensitive, effective obesity treatment. Dr. Griauzde also developed and now serves as Co-Medical Director of the Veteran Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare Systems’ (VAAAHS’) Weight Management and Metabolic Health Program.
Session 2
Paths to diabetes remission: Summarizing therapeutic nutrition evidence to personalize the patient journey
Dr. Roy Taylor
Professor Roy Taylor qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and is now a Professor at Newcastle University. He founded the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre in 2006 to develop innovative research techniques. In 2011 he showed that type 2 diabetes was a simple, reversible condition of excess fat within liver and pancreas, subsequently clarifying what causes type 2 diabetes and how it works. This has led to the NHS type 2 diabetes remission programme. Professor Taylor also developed the system now used throughout the United Kingdom for screening for diabetic eye disease, with major reduction in blindness due to diabetes across the UK. He has published books in lay language explaining type 2 diabetes plus training books on retinal screening and been invited to deliver many prestigious lectures in the UK and abroad.
Session 3
Building the business case for type 2 diabetes remission: Can the health system afford to maintain the status quo?
Dr. Kwadwo Kyremanteng
Dr. Kyeremanteng is the department head of critical care at The Ottawa Hospital. He dedicates his time to care for the sickest of the sick patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). As a researcher, he is interested in using ICU resources more efficiently and improving access to palliative care in the ICU. He founded the Resource Optimization Network, a multidisciplinary research group working to reduce health spending without compromising care. In September 2019, Dr. Kyeremanteng launched his podcast “Solving Healthcare with Kwadwo Kyeremanteng” which features interviews and discussions on the topic of improving healthcare delivery in Canada. Underpinned by the values of cost-effectiveness, dignity, and justice, the podcasts challenge the status quo, and explores gaps, assumptions, and different perspectives in the pursuit of finding solutions to problems in Canada’s healthcare system. During the COVID 19 Pandemic, Dr. Kyeremanteng created ‘Solving Wellness,’ a virtual health & wellness platform for health care professionals that helps address health care burnout and providing health, fitness and self-care for its members.
Session 4 & 5
Tales from the trenches: Supporting remission options in diverse populations
a. The challenges and opportunities of diabetes remission among First Peoples
Dr. Jay Wortman
Dr. Wortman has worked in family medicine, public health, medical administration and research. He has held senior management positions at Health Canada in Ottawa and Vancouver. For the past 17 years he has worked with the low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in both research and practice settings. For many years, his work was focused in First Nations and Inuit communities. One of his studies trialed a low carb traditional diet in a First Nations community and was the subject of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary film, “My Big Fat Diet”. Dr. Wortman is a frequent presenter on the benefits of a low carbohydrate high fat diet at scientific meetings and continuing medical education events. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Simply Good Foods Co. Dr. Wortman currently practices in West Vancouver where he uses a low carb high fat diet for the treatment of metabolic, CNS, and inflammatory conditions.
b. Making remission possible in the southside of Chicago
Dr. Tony Hampton
Dr. Hampton is a board-certified family and obesity specialist with a Masters in Nutrition and Functional medicine who is passionate about removing barriers to health and equipping patients and his colleagues with the education and resources they need for success. As the medical director of the Advocate Operating System, he collaborated with clinicians and staff on programs to address social determinants of health among at-risk patient populations. He developed numerous patient programs, including: the Healthy Living program, which educated patients about lifestyle and helped them set realistic and attainable goals; the Food Farmacy at Advocate Trinity and South Suburban Hospitals to increase access to fresh, healthy food for patients in partnership with the Chicago Food Depository. He also works with patients in small groups enrolled in the diabetes prevention program and COPD programs. He currently is the Medical Group Management Committee South Region Primary Care Lead, Chair-Elect of the Advocate Health Midwest Governing Council, Medical Director for Advocates Mobile Health Team and FoodSmart. He’s authored the book: Fix Your Diet, Fix Your Diabetes, is an active blogger on social media, creates educational videos on YouTube, and has a podcast ranked in the top 1% entitled: Protecting Your N.E.S.T. with Dr. Tony Hampton. Check out all of his resources here: https://linktr.ee/drtonyhampton
Session 6
Getting the Message Out to Practitioners and the Public: Harnessing Social Media to Spread the Word
Dr. Jonathan Little
Dr. Little is a Professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, BC. His research focuses on optimizing diet and exercise interventions, and reducing the need for medication, for the prevention, treatment, and remission of type 2 diabetes. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed journal articles in the areas of exercise metabolism, nutrition, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and immunology. He also contributed to the development and writing of the 2022 Diabetes Clinical Practice Guidelines chapter on “Remission of Type 2 Diabetes”. Ongoing research in his lab includes clinical trials and translational studies to determine how the application of different diet, nutritional ketosis, and exercise strategies impact human glucose control, cardiovascular risk, and inflammation.
Dr. Barbara Oliveira
Dr. Oliveira, PhD, is a dietitian with a background in both nutrition and diabetes who is the clinical research coordinator at the University of BC, overseeing several clinical trials focused on nutrition and diabetes management. Her bachelor in Dietetics set the foundation for her passion in nutrition and health. She then earned a MSc in Neuroscience, focusing on antioxidant vitamins and Alzheimer’s disease, and a PhD studying the impact of vitamins on type 1 diabetes, both from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Her Postdoctoral appointment at UBC explored how various low-carbohydrate dietary interventions impact type 2 diabetes. These experiences gave her the strong background in nutritional interventions for the prevention, treatment and remission of type 2 diabetes.
Session 7
What About Higher LDL, CVD Risk and Other Potential Side Effects of Low Carb Eating?
Dr. Bret Scher
Dr. Scher is a board-certified cardiologist, lipidologist, and leading expert in metabolic and ketogenic therapies, and is the Director of Metabolic Mind (www.metabolicmind.org), a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group. Dr. Scher was previously the medical director at DietDoctor.com He also runs a preventive cardiology telemedicine practice at lowcarbcardiologist.com. Dr. Scher has spent most of his 20-year career as a preventive cardiologist, helping people improve their metabolic health and prevent heart disease using low-carb nutrition and lifestyle interventions. Now Dr. Scher creates educational videos and podcasts regarding the connection between metabolic and mental health and how metabolic and ketogenic therapies can play a key role in mental health treatment. He believes we can revolutionize the mental health field through a greater understanding of metabolic therapies and therapeutic ketogenic interventions.
Session 8
Finding their why: Motivating patient behaviour change for remission success
Dr. Laura-Lee McKay
Dr. McKay, MD, FCFP, is a board-certified Family Medicine physician and a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians who has a passion for lifestyle medicine and therapeutic nutrition. With nine years of experience in the weight management field, Dr. McKay has established herself as an advocate for promoting overall health and wellness through evidence-based, personalized approaches to weight loss and lifestyle modification. Dr. McKay co-founded the company MD Weight Loss alongside her colleague Dr. Jonathan Chan in 2020 with the aim to transform the lives of thousands of patients by helping them achieve their weight loss and health goals. She firmly believes in the power of lifestyle changes, including nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep, to foster sustainable and long-lasting improvements in health. Dr. McKay has also developed a curriculum for and leads weekly “Education & Exercise” patient group sessions understanding that a sense of community is beneficial for her patients’ progress. She hopes to transform the landscape of healthcare and empower patients to take control of their health.
Session 9
Harnessing the power of community: Exploring the role for social prescribing in diabetes remission
Sonia Hsiung
Dr. Grace Park
Dr. Park is a family physician and the Regional Medical Director for Home and Community Health Services in Fraser Health Authority. She is also a clinical assistant professor with the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Park enjoys working with others to ensure smoother transitions for clients and seamless coordination of care within the health care system. She is actively involved with the Divisions of Family Practice in the work with the Integrated Health Network (IHN) and Community Actions and Resources Empowering Seniors (CARES), and is also working in collaboration with the United Way British Columbia in the development and roll out of a regional Social Prescribing program.