February 8 2021 – The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (www.DiabetesResearch.org) today announced that Dr. Camillo Ricordi, who has served as director of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine since 1993, will advance to a new leadership role. He will become the first recipient of the Ricordi Chair at the DRI.
In this new role, Dr. Ricordi will continue to work closely with other DRI scientists and play a major role in the Institute’s singular mission to find a cure for diabetes. His ongoing global collaborative efforts will increase, as he remains head of the DRI Federation, an international alliance of researchers from the top medical centers around the world who are focused on a diabetes cure.
“For all of us whose primary mission is to find a cure for type 1 diabetes, there is no one to whom we owe more than Dr. Ricordi. He has led us ever closer to the cure,” stated William J. Fishlinger, chairman of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation’s (DRIF) National Board of Directors. “The DRIF looks forward to continuing its support of Dr. Ricordi and his transformational research at the DRI and globally.”
Acknowledged by his peers as one of the world’s leading scientists in diabetes research and cell transplantation, Dr. Ricordi’s contributions to the field include the invention of the Ricordi Chamber and Automated Method to process insulin-producing islet cells from a donor pancreas. The procedure is now used by laboratories performing clinical islet transplants worldwide. He has also developed highly innovative strategies with the objective to transplant cells without the continuous requirement for anti-rejection drugs and for the reversal of autoimmune conditions. Under Dr. Ricordi’s leadership, the Diabetes Research Institute became a pioneer in islet cell transplantation and a world-renowned leader in the search for a cure.
Throughout his career, Dr. Ricordi has received numerous honors and awards, served on multiple boards, and published thousands of scientific papers, as well as been awarded 26 patents. He was also instrumental in treating patients with COVID-19 and diabetes during the pandemic.
The University of Miami, in collaboration with the DRI Foundation, has launched a worldwide search for a top research scientist, devoted to finding a cure. That individual will fill the position of DRI Director and the Stacy Joy Goodman Chair that Dr. Ricordi previously held.
The Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation were created for one reason – to cure diabetes – which is and will continue to be the singular focus until that goal is reached. To keep abreast of this effort and other DRI news, visit DiabetesResearch.org/DRI-Insider. For more information, contact the DRI Foundation at 800-321-3437 or info@drif.org.
About the Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation
The mission of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is to provide the Diabetes Research Institute with the funding necessary to cure diabetes now. The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine leads the world in cure-focused research. As one of the largest and most comprehensive research centers dedicated to curing diabetes, the DRI is aggressively working to develop a biological cure by restoring natural insulin production in people living with the disease. Researchers have already shown that transplanted islet cells allow patients to live without the need for insulin therapy. Some study participants have maintained insulin independence for more than 10 years. The DRI is now building upon these promising outcomes through its BioHub strategy, a multi-pronged approach that addresses the major challenges standing in the way of a cure. For more information, please visit DiabetesResearch.org or call 800-321-3437.
