Keynote Speakers on T1DE and Diabetes Mental Health

Jacqueline is the founder of Diabetics with Eating Disorders, better known as DWED. It is the UK’s first charity devoted to people living with the comorbidity of diabetes & eating disorders. In addition, Jacqueline has done some of the most innovative research on the subject && helped cultivate King’s College program to treat the comorbidity. Jacqueline is in the process of getting her PhD with a special emphasis studying eating disorders in people with type 1 diabetes or T1ED. 
​Dr. Heather Walker has been living with diabetes for over 20 years and a diabetes advocate for 12. She has a PhD in Disability Studies and is co-editor of the book (Un)Doing Diabetes: Representation, Disability, Culture published in 2022. Heather was the recipient of the Innovator of the Year Flame Award in 2020 for her research into diabetes stigma. Heather is a mom of 2 young kids and works as a People Scientist in the HR tech space. Her pug, Lancet, says hi! 

Healthcare Professional/Patient Recovery Speakers

Thapi Semenya is a law student from South Africa. She is an International Diabetes Federation Young Leader in Diabetes Trainee 2022-2024 and DeDoc Voices Scholarship recipient. Semenya has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for 17 years and Bipolar Disorder Type 2 for four years. She is very passionate about advocacy and has a huge interest specifically in Rural Advocacy in Africa. Semenya’s hope for the future is to see everyone living in Africa with the ability to access the mental health support and services that they need.
Courtney South is a PhD Student in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She completed her Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition and Food at Toronto Metropolitan University, along with a post-graduate dietetic internship at The Hospital for Sick Children and MSc thesis in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. She has experience working as a Registered Dietitian with the pediatric population. Courtney’s PhD work is focused on whether new technologies in insulin delivery impact disordered eating behaviours in youth and adults with type 1 diabetes
Sian is a Counselling Psychologist  researched the lived experience of Diabulimia - individuals with Type 1 diabetes restricting/omitting insulin for weight control as part of her Doctorate. Sian has presented her research findings at several conferences and advised healthcare professionals on how to best support individuals with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating.  Sian is on the board of Diabulimia Helpline and divides her time between her clinical practice, supervising doctoral research, lecturing, and her own scholarly pursuits. 
Fabiana Couto is a type 1 diabetic for 29+ years. She is a diabetes advocate, writer and psychoanalyst focused on attending people with diabetes. She has a Masters degree in Psychology in the US, and founder of the Divabetic Movement and Influencers Diabetes Movement in Brazil that promotes diabetes patients education, awareness and self-empowerment through events, campaigns and community based programs, as well as online content.
Ana Waalder is a journalist specialized in Health and the author of  comics book about her diabetes, the difficult journey it brings and the diabetes ecosystem in France (insurance, pharmas, patients' associations..). She is also a member of Diabete et méchant.  In addition, Ana also co-created with Juliette and Brigitte The First Congress About Diabetes and Eating Disorders in Paris in 2023. This was an incredible day about eating disorders and T1D. 
​Esther Tambe is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist based in NY, USA. She is the founder of EstherTambe Nutrition, LLC .  She received her master’s degree in nutrition with a concentration in Exercise Science.  Esther has spent her career working in underserved communities, providing nutrition education and counseling. Esther is committed to increasing awareness of eating disorders and weight inclusive nutrition counseling in Black communities. 
Alison previously worked as a Diabetes Case Management Nurse, responsible for coordinating an outreach and education program for all diabetics within a defined clinical population, identifying and intervening at risk diabetics, coordinating the roll out of the Pump Program for Rural Residents, identifying patients who would benefit and  connecting patients within the diabetic population with resources within the community. She says "My passion for changing the face of diabetes care has lead me to where I am today." Alison is also a Type 1 diabetic and in recovery rom ED-DMT1.  
Sara Mobäck was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes more than 20 years ago. Today she runs Sweden's largest blog and Instagram about diabetes. I lecture on the subject and on what I am most passionate about: Diabetes and eating disorders. I myself suffered from an eating disorder in 2017 and with that I gained the insight that the most obvious thing in life, apart from breathing, is that food can become quite a big problem and
bigger even for the people who have diabetes.
After struggling with diabulimia off and on for a decade, Erin founded the Diabulimia Helpline in 2009, the world's first non-profit organization dedicated to support, awareness and advocacy for those struggling with diabetes and eating disorders. Erin has spent 14 years in the mental health field; working with the emotional and behavioral aspects of diabetes and how they connect to food and body issues. Erin helps train eating disorder centers to implement ED-DMT1 programs across the country, as well as at speaking at diabetes clinics all over the U.S.
Aisling Pigott is a pediatric diabetes dietitian in Cardiff and Vale UHB and RCBC grant holder studying for her PhD at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Aisling is really interested in learning from those with a lived experience of T1DE to support our understanding and develop prevention strategies within pediatric diabetes care. She had learnt so much from the generosity of the Type 1 community and is very excited to be able share provisional findings and plans for the future.
Juliette de Salle is a peer health mediator in a psychiatric service in the hospital Sainte-Anne (Paris). She is a founding member of the patients association Diabète et Méchant (there is a play on words in French here). Juliette, alongside Brigitte Ballandras, is one of the creators of the therapeutics program and the congress dedicated to T1D with ED we first built this year. 
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At the age of 40, after decades of struggling with mental exhaustion and the heaviness of diabetes and diabulimia, Cynthia gave birth to her beautiful daughter. Balancing diabetes, pregnancy, childbirth and now preschool hood is a crowning personal achievement and an ever-moving circus! Cynthia has worked across the diabetes space as a speaker, author, community builder and advocate. In a disease where the burden is constant and isolation inevitable, she hopes to help others find strength in knowing that even though there may be lonely days, through connection, we are never truly alone.