Latest News

FOE DRC Investigators Continue To Excel In Research

Faculty members in the FOEDRC continue to excel in their ability to obtain competitive extramural funding for their research projects. In this month’s newsletter I will highlight new grant awards obtained by two of our members and next month I will feature another two.

Dr. Julien Sebag, Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and member of the FOEDRC was recently awarded a 5-year $1.9M grant from the NIDDK for a project entitled: Investigating the requirement of MRAP2 for ghrelin function.

DRC Researcher Sah Awarded Grant From ADA

Rajan Sah, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine Cardiology Division and member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center was recently awarded a Research Grant from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The project entitled: SWELL1 regulation of ß-cell excitability and insulin secretion will be supported by the $345,000 award over the next three years. Also, this leading edge experimentation was published in the January issue of Nature Communication.

Eagles Celebrate 120 Years of Community Service

On February 6, The Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) celebrates 120 years of community service.

The F.O.E. began in 1898, when six Seattle-area theater owners came together to share their passion for social progress and a dedication to philanthropy with the greater community.

120 years later, the F.O.E. continues to work hard to bring citizens together in the name of bettering communities and raising funds to assist friends and neighbors in need. From the creation of Mother’s Day, Social Security and Medicare to the hundreds of millions of dollars donated to various research and assistance organizations across North America, no life has been left untouched by the actions of an Eagle.

Technology Developed By DRC Enhances Detection of Eye Disease in Diabetics

DRC Director's Report, February 2018

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a complication of diabetes, is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the developed world, and it is one of the most feared complications for people with diabetes. In the US, at least 25,000 people with diabetes go blind every year from this almost entirely preventable disease, and there are 25 million Americans with diabetes at risk for the disease, projected to increase to 50 million over the next 10 years. There is extensive proof that an annual eye exam to detect the retinopathy early and treat it before the onset of symptoms can prevent almost all permanent visual loss, unfortunately the annual eye exam is expensive and access may be difficult.

Eagles And Justin Haley Join Forces Again in 2018

GMS Racing announced that Justin Haley would once again pilot the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2018. Long-time sponsor Fraternal Order of Eagles will also rejoin the group as a primary sponsor throughout the season.

American Diabetes Association Supports FOEDRC Researchers

DRC Director's Report - January 2018

Three researchers from the FOEDRC received new grants from the American Diabetes Association for groundbreaking research. The ability of our members to receive these competitive awards is truly remarkable and underscores the quality and rigor of the research that is being conducted in the FOEDRC. There are few institutions that received multiple awards in this current round of ADA funding.  The awards to Drs. Ling Yang, Rajan Sah and Adam Rauckhorst are summarized below.

Our Grand Presidents Wish You A Very Merry Christmas!

Brothers and Sisters,

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season. For the Fraternal Order of Eagles, this season truly exemplifies our commitment to charity and community service.

During the holiday season, we send care packages to troops serving overseas through our Operation Eagle program, which is funded exclusively by our members. Across the United States and Canada, our 1,500+ locations organize holiday fundraisers, plan children’s parties and shopping sprees, and donate their time and money to help feed families in need. We always make it an organizational priority to give our best to those most in need each Winter.

Currently, we’re on track for a successful membership year, however we must continue to work hard to recruit new members and meet our goal of Net Gain +2%. To help reach our mark, we’re asking everyone to “Give The Gift Of Membership” this holiday season by reaching out to someone you know who is contemplating membership with the F.O.E. and paying their first years dues.

Dr. Abel Named President-Elect Of The Endocrine Society

DRC Director's Report - December 2017

It is with great pleasure that we share with you that E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, was recently elected as the president-elect of the Endocrine Society. His term as president-elect will commence March 20, 2018, and his presidential term will begin on March 20, 2019, for one year.  Dr. Abel credits this high accomplishment in part to the contributions of the FOE whose extraordinary commitment to diabetes research has strengthened his work.

New Ways To Predict The Risk Of Gestational Diabetes

DRC Director's Report - November 2017

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Wei Bao, Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, and a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC) was recently awarded a $419,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund a project entitled: Pregnancy-associated microRNAs in plasma as predictors of gestational diabetes.  Some of the preliminary work that contributed to this award were provided by pilot funding from the FOEDRC.

New Muscle Wasting Research Holds Promise at UI

DRC Director's Report, October 2017

A hearty “Congratulations!” is in order for Dr. Christopher Adams, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and member of the FOE DRC who is the recipient of a five-year, $2.4M grant from the National Institutes of Health to study skeletal muscle atrophy. Dr. Adams holds an FOEDRC endowed chair, and this recent success underscores the important impact of the investment of the FOEDRC towards the ongoing success of his research program.  In preliminary studies, performed in mouse models, Dr. Adams and members of his lab identified the first example of a protein that is required for the loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality, strength, and endurance exercise capacity during aging: the transcription factor ATF4.