Health Information Updates
Siminerio to chair National Diabetes Education Program
Dr. Linda Siminerio was named the new chair of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a joint program of the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Siminerio is executive director of the Diabetes Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.
“The NDEP plays a unique role in bringing together diverse stakeholders to foster cooperation and collaboration to improve diabetes outcomes,” said Siminerio. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to advance the NDEP’s work to create awareness, educate and provide support and behavioral strategies to improve care for the prevention and management of diabetes.”
As chair of the NDEP, Siminerio—who also serves as a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh—will direct the NDEP in its efforts to facilitate the adoption of proven approaches to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and its complications. In her position, Siminerio will ensure that the NDEP continues to execute its strategic plan.
“Dr. Siminerio is a pioneer in the field of diabetes education, a nationally recognized advocate for diabetes education and care," said Dr. Judith Fradkin, director of the NIDDK Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases. “Dr. Siminerio has developed strategies that have translated successfully into programs to help all people with diabetes, and specifically those in underserved populations.”
Siminerio brings more than 40 years of nursing and diabetes-related experience to her NDEP role. A prominent advocate for diabetes care and education, her academic work on diabetes focuses on translational research and quality improvement, self-management, community interventions and overcoming barriers to care in underserved populations.
In addition to her work at the University of Pittsburgh, Siminerio is chair of the Intenational Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environments and Systems program and former chair of the IDF World Congress. She is also the former president of health and education at the American Diabetes Association and a recipient of the group’s Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award.
Siminerio succeeds Dr. John Buse of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.