Autonomous_ID, a Canadian-American tech company and clinician researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California shared in an award focusing on global innovation in Diabetes. Their program, called “Smart Sole Salvation” won the Global People’s Choice Award. It is a combination of multiple technologies designed to foster improved activity while also identifying potentially limb-threatening complications of diabetes. The University’s researchers included, David G. Armstrong, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Southwestern Academic Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA) and Charles Liu, Professor of Neurological Surgery and Director of Keck’s Neurorestoration Unit.
“Working side by side with my friend and colleague Charles Liu and the brilliant team at Autonomous has been a wild ride”, noted Dr. Armstrong. “The team approach to innovation on this program is palpable. I think we really feel like we are making a difference.

The USC and Autonomous investigators shared first prize in People’s Choice with SciDogma Research of Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, who is developing an E-pancreas with a closed loop delivery system.
“We are already seeing progress in the type 1 diabetes space as a result of the support the Diabetes Innovation Challenge provided to the 2016 winners,” said David Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust and one of the judges of this year’s event. “This outstanding event advances diabetes solutions and exemplifies the innovative thinking that Helmsley is committed to supporting.”
“In just two short years we have seen the Diabetes Innovation Challenge grow to become a showcase for new ideas and an international driver of progress,” said Jay Mohr, president and CEO of Dirigo Therapeutics and a member of the Board of T1D Exchange. “More importantly, it has provided pivotal resources and financial support to transform these ideas into better care for people living with diabetes.”
About Type 1 Diabetes
Studies show that at least 1.25 million Americans are living with type 1 diabetes, including more than 200,000 young people under the age of 20. Alarmingly, there was a 21 percent increase in the prevalence of type one diabetes among young people from 2001-2009, with 40,000 new cases diagnosed each year. At the current rate, the number of people with type 1 diabetes is expected to grow to more than 5 million people in the U.S. by 2050.
About T1D Exchange
T1D Exchange is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to accelerating therapies and improving care for people affected by type 1 diabetes. T1D Exchange actively supports discovery and innovation—particularly at its earliest stages. At the same time, the organization asserts that evidence gathered in the “real world” can help bridge the gap between discovery in research settings and impact in people’s lives.
The T1D Exchange model uses cutting-edge research tools, methods and programs to gather biological samples from people living with type 1 diabetes, as well as evidence from their real-world experiences. The goal is to link patient samples, data and insight to all stages of research and development, advancing the development of therapies and better care for everyone affected by type 1 diabetes.
Contacts
For more information about the 2018 Diabetes Innovation Challenge or T1D Exchange, please contact John Gillespie at (314) 708-9090 Jgillespie@T1DExchange.org or Rebecca Parkes, Chief Advancement Officer at (617) 892-6100 RParkes@T1DExchange.org.
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