American Diabetes Association

Following the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians in 1939, a group of prominent medical professionals - among them Dr. E.S. Dillion, Dr. Herman O. Mosenthal, Dr. Joseph H. Barack, and Dr. Joseph T. Beardwood Jr. - established an organization known as the American Diabetes Association. By 1946, they were able to host a meeting commemorating 25 years since the discovery of insulin, using this gathering to share information and build a support network of physicians and researchers interested in studying diabetes. Today, the organization has more than 500,000 members, nearly 1,000 staff members, and more than a million volunteers.

The American Diabetes Association has three strategic goals: focus on research and innovation to aid in discoveries that can contribute to the prevention, management, and identification of a cure for diabetes; contribute to positive action to advocate for and engage with those individuals who are diagnosed with diabetes; and provide ample resources for individuals with diabetes, individuals at risk for diabetes, family members of patients and those at risk, and the health care providers that serve these communities. To achieve these goals, the American Diabetes Association awards research grants to researchers around the world, publishes two journals in the field of diabetes research, holds conferences on diabetes education and research, and works to influence legislation at the national and state levels to improve research on and treatment of diabetes at all stages of life.