Stem Cell Network and Breakthrough T1D name Dr. Joshua N. Awoke as the 2025 J. Andrew McKee Fellow in Type 1 Diabetes

September 16, 2025 (Ottawa/Toronto) – Canada’s Stem Cell Network (SCN) and Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) are pleased to announce Dr. Joshua N. Awoke as the 2025 recipient of the J. Andrew McKee Fellowship in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). This Fellowship aims to help accelerate Canadian research, develop talent and enhance Canada’s global leadership in T1D research.

The Fellowship Program is named in honour and memory of John Andrew McKee, who was Past President and CEO at Breakthrough T1D and a long-standing member and Chair of SCN’s Board of Directors. Andrew played a significant role in developing the future of both organizations and believed deeply in the important role of science in making Canada a better place for all.

Dr. Awoke’s research at the University of British Columbia focuses on islet hormone building blocks as potential biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of T1D. By examining how these precursors reflect beta cell health, his work could improve prediction of disease onset and assessment of treatment effectiveness. Conducted at the Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence, this research may provide clinicians with powerful new tools to detect, track, and manage T1D.

Dr. Awoke earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from Nottingham Trent University, where he studied the anti-inflammatory potential of carnosine in metabolic diseases. He also holds an MSc in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Aberdeen and a BSc in Biochemistry from Ebonyi State University. Now a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Bruce Verchere at the Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence at UBC, he is advancing research to improve prediction and treatment monitoring in type 1 diabetes. Read more about Dr. Awoke’s journey in this Breakthrough T1D blog interview.

Quick Facts:

T1D is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas makes little to no insulin. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood glucose levels; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death.
Globally, it impacts nearly 9 million people, and an estimated 300,000 in Canada.
Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for over 70% of all T1D diagnoses nationally.
Canada has one of the highest rates of diagnosis in the world, and it’s unknown why. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, researchers believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.
Stem cell therapy holds immense promise for the treatment of people with diabetes, by offering the potential for the body to one day start producing its own insulin again.
The Andrew McKee Fellowship Program in Type 1 Diabetes, supported by Breakthrough T1D (formerly known as JDRF) and SCN will award one yearlong fellowship per year through 2026. Each fellowship is valued at $60,000 CAD per year and supports a fellow working at the Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence at UBC. To date, three fellows have been awarded, with the 2025 fellowship marking the fourth and final award.
The Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence at UBC was established in December 2021 and is exclusively focused on research to cure T1D.

Quotes:

“On behalf of the Stem Cell Network, I am delighted to congratulate Dr. Awoke on being named the 2025 J. Andrew McKee Fellow. His research has the potential to transform how we detect and monitor type 1 diabetes, a disease that touches the lives of approximately 300,000 Canadians. Through this Fellowship, we honour the legacy of Andrew McKee, whose belief in the power of science and the next generation of researchers continues to guide us. SCN is proud to partner with Breakthrough T1D to support emerging leaders like Dr. Awoke as they advance innovative approaches that bring us closer to a cure.” – Cate Murray, President and CEO, Stem Cell Network

“As a Breakthrough T1D Canada (then JDRF) President and leader, Andrew McKee was a driving force behind the kind of T1D research that this Fellowship has supported at the Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence at UBC for the past four years. Our partnership with SCN has provided new opportunities for trainees to work closely with some of the most globally skilled T1D researchers, and for that we are so grateful. Dr. Awoke’s work will help us better understand islet hormone building blocks as potential biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of T1D, a pathway to screening and prevention, and a means of stopping T1D before it can start.” – Jessica Diniz, President and CEO, Breakthrough T1D Canada

“The J. Andrew McKee Fellowship Program award is more than an award for me, it is a beacon of opportunity, a much-needed springboard and a spark to my research career, which I believe will fuel my passion, connect me with brilliant minds and eventually amplify my impact and contribution to global scientific progress in T1D research.” – Dr. Joshua N. Awoke, new J. Andrew McKee Fellow in Type 1 Diabetes

About the Stem Cell Network:
The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is a Canadian not-for-profit that supports stem cell and regenerative medicine research; training the next generation of highly qualified personnel; enabling knowledge mobilization of research; and enhancing the commercialization readiness of stem cell and RM innovations. From the lab to the clinic, SCN’s goal is to power life-saving therapies and technologies through regenerative medicine research for the benefit of all. Created in 2001, with support from the Government of Canada, the Network has funded over 280 research projects and 30 clinical trials, cumulatively driven by experts from 350 research groups across Canada. Since its inception, over 28 biotech companies have been catalyzed or enhanced and more than 7,900 highly qualified personnel have been trained. In 2023, the Government of Canada announced additional funding for SCN through the Strategic Science Fund that will support SCN activities and research through to the end of the decade.

About Breakthrough T1D:
As the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps to make every day better for those living with the disease while driving toward cures. Since the discovery of insulin, Canada has remained at the forefront of T1D research. Breakthrough T1D is committed to investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with governments to address issues that impact the T1D community, and supporting individuals facing this disease.

SCN Media Contact:
Samantha Rae Ayoub
Vice-President, Communications & Knowledge Mobilization
srae@stemcellnetwork.ca

Media contact JDRF:
Ruth Kapelus
National Content and Media Relations Manager
rkapelus@jdrf.ca