Apr 08, 2024
Citizen Advisory Board of the German Center for Diabetes Research meets at the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden
Group photo of members of the Citizens Advisory Board of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), members of the DZD office, the coordinator of participatory research and the Citizens Advisory Board at the DDZ in Düsseldorf and researchers from the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID).
At the beginning of April, the Citizen Advisory Board (CAB) of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) assembled for its 5th meeting, this time at the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID). This assembly marked a further step towards more intensive patient participation in diabetes research and also provided an opportunity for a personal exchange between members of the advisory board and scientists from Dresden.
The meeting focused on two main topics. Firstly, the various options for citizen and patient participation were presented and discussed, either as co-researchers in a specific project or as an advisory board that can make overarching recommendations. Secondly, the responsible communication of new and promising research results to the public was addressed. Prof. Barbara Ludwig presented her work on the transplantation of artificial pancreas. The publication of these research successes on diabinfo.de was rated as a successful example of good science communication by the advisory board.
Personal exchange at eye level
The personal exchange between the advisory board members and the PLID scientists was also a feature of this meeting. The discussions offered participants the opportunity to gain insights into ongoing research activities, ask questions and contribute their perspectives. The open dialog between those affected by the disease and the scientists helps to deepen the understanding of the needs of those affected and to strengthen the cooperation between research and people with diabetes, as Advisory Board member Marian Meinhardt-Schönfeld impressively demonstrates with his spontaneous documentation illustrations.
The advisory board
The Citizen Advisory Board has been supporting the work of the DZD since 2021. It advises the DZD on the translational research strategy and on research projects from the perspective of citizens and patients. The committee consists of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, relatives and interested citizens.