Latest News

DRC Director's Report - May 2021

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the US and around the world. This is a problem because being obese increases the likelihood of developing serious medical problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and heart failure. Obesity also increases the risks of complications from COVID-19 infections. We still do not understand all of the reasons why obesity develops and why some people develop complications and others do not.

In work recently published in the Journal Molecular Metabolism, FOEDRC member Dr. Kamal Rahmouni, PhD, professor of Neuroscience, Pharmacology, and Internal Medicine, in collaboration with FOEDRC colleagues at the University of Iowa, identified a protein complex, called the BBSome. These are present in neurons (nerve cells) in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. 

DRC Director's Report - April 2021

FOEDRC member Matthew Potthoff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, and graduate student Sharon Jensen-Cody recently wrote a review article entitled: “Hepatokines and metabolism: Deciphering communication from the liver” that was published in the Journal Molecular Metabolism. This article was featured on the cover of the February issue of the Journal, that increased the visibility of their work.

Sawyer Brown Headlines Sunday Welcome Show

The Fraternal Order of Eagles is bringing a bit of country to the desert this summer as country music legends Sawyer Brown headline the 2021 Welcome to Phoenix Show as part of our annual International Convention, Sunday, August 1 in Phoenix, Ariz. The show is free to all registered Convention attendees and will be held inside the JW Marriott Desert Ridge – the home site of this year’s Convention.

Since their debut on “Star Search” in the early 1980’s, Sawyer Brown has gone on to release 23 studio albums with more than 50 chart singles. In addition to the band’s success on country radio, the group has taken home CMA, ACM, CMT and MCN Awards. However, Sawyer Brown is most known for their wildly entertaining live performances, having played more than 4,500 shows throughout the world.

Sawyer Brown is a five-man band including singer Mark Miller, keyboardist Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard, lead guitarist Shayne Hill, bassist Jim Scholten, and drummer Joe Smyth.

DRC Director's Report - March 2021

This month, the Spring 2021 issue of the Iowa Magazine devoted its cover and featured the University of Iowa Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC). The heartwarming article shares real life testimonies of diabetic individuals, cared for at the University of Iowa and the impact of diabetes on their daily life. 

The desire for relief is real and certainly not lost on physicians and scientists at the FOEDRC. The Center’s mission is to improve the lives of individuals with the disease and find a cure. Every day dedicated FOEDRC scientists conduct a wide range of research projects to improve and benefit the lives of many.

Williams & Ree to Open Welcome to Phoenix Show

Musical comedy duo Williams and Ree will open this year's Welcome to Phoenix show on Sunday, Aug. 1, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge as part of the 2021 Fraternal Order of Eagles International Convention. 

This long running duo eschews political correctness and conformity and spins comedy gold from the union of an unlikely duo. The framework surrounding the comedic pair is music, which has earned them a CMA vocal duo nomination. 

Their television credits include Country Kitchen, HeeHaw, Laff TV and Comedy Central. They currently host Country Thunder Music Festivals around North America and are featured on Sirius Radio. 

Bret Michaels To Perform At Phoenix Convention In August

The Fraternal Order of Eagles is ready to rock Phoenix this summer as multi-platinum global superstar Bret Michaels takes the stage at the 2021 Aerie and Auxiliary Members Banquet during this year’s International Convention. 

Tickets are $50 per-person including concert and dinner and will go on sale later this month. Members must register for the Convention to be eligible to purchase tickets.

Born in the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania, on March 15, 1963, Bret first rose to fame as the front man of Poison, helping to define the rock-n-roll scene on the Sunset Strip. One of rock’s most iconic and enduring bands, Poison’s massive success includes selling over 50 million records worldwide and numerous hit singles. 

DRC Director's Report - February 2021

The exact mechanisms underlying the metabolic effects of gastric bypass or bariatric surgery remain unclear. At the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Mohamad Mokadem, MD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and member of FOEDRC, and his research team have developed an animal model of bariatric surgery, which they are using to understand the underlying mechanisms by which this treatment not only prevents obesity but also reverses diabetes.

DRC Director's Report - January 2021

A recent study by a team of UI researchers led by E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, Director, FOEDRC discovered eating a ketogenic diet rescued mice from heart failure. 

The study, published in the November issue of the journal Nature Metabolism, was one of three companion papers from independent research teams that all point to the damaging effects of excess sugar (glucose) and its breakdown products on the heart. The UI study also revealed the potential to mitigate that damage by supplying the heart with alternate fuel sources in the form of high-fat diets. 

Given its need for a constant, reliable supply of energy, the heart is very flexible about the type of molecules it can burn for fuel. Most of the heart’s energy comes from metabolizing fatty acids, but heart cells can also burn glucose and lactate, and also ketones. 

DRC Director's Report - December 2020

Dr. Vitor Lira Associate Professor of Health and Human Physiology and member of the FOEDRC was recently awarded a new grant from the National Institutes of Health in the amount of $563,723. The grant entitled: “Molecular regulation of protein turnover in skeletal muscle” will study an important condition that afflicts many individuals as they age, particularly those with diabetes. 

Aging-related skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness, also referred to as sarcopenia, affects millions of people contributing to the development of several chronic conditions associated with poor health outcomes, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Although sarcopenia remains poorly understood and lacks effective therapy, aged muscles manifest a problem of poor protein turnover or recycling which is called proteotoxicity. 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from your Grand Presidents!

Brothers and Sisters, 

We’ve almost made it through 2020 and all the chaos this unexpected year has brought us. While the struggles we have faced this year are different than any we have experienced before, we wanted to thank all of our amazing Eagles members for their perseverance, positivity, and adaptability during this time. 

Adjusting to this year has been an exercise in problem solving. As government orders forced the shutdown of many of our Aeries & Auxiliaries, you all persevered, finding new ways to raise funds and handle business despite the limitations placed upon us. 

We were able to raise a grand total of $3,665,516 for the F.O.E. Charity Foundation and its various funds. Past Grand Worthy President Ron Malz raised $83,607.59 for his charity, Confidence Learning Center, while Past Grand Madam President Gloria Williams raised $46,734.96 for the Special Olympics, and an additional $37,986.50 for her other project, the F.O.E. Diabetes Research Center. As your Grand Presidents, we’ve spent our year raising money for the DRC Bridge to the Cure, Camp Civitan, and the Penticton Regional Hospital, and can’t wait to update you on how much we raised during the 2021 Convention in Phoenix, AZ!