Jaako Tuomilehto, MD, MA, PhD, Receives American Diabetes Association's Harold Rifkin Award for Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes

ALEXANDRIA, VA--(Marketwired - Apr 23, 2014) - The American Diabetes Association will present the Harold Rifkin Award for Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes to Jaako Tuomilehto, MD, MA, PhD. Sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, the Harold Rifkin Award honors individual outstanding service in the cause of diabetes that has been performed with an international perspective and with international impact. Dr. Tuomilehto will be recognized with this honor at the Association's 74^th Scientific Sessions^®, taking place June 13-17, 2014, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. 

Currently a professor of public health at the University of Helsinki in Finland, Dr. Tuomilehto was the first medical officer for diabetes and cardiovascular disease for the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific. He set up the WHO DIAMOND project, which mapped the incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes worldwide.

Dr. Tuomilehto established the collaborative DECODE and DECODA studies, evaluating the diagnostic criteria and epidemiology of dysglycemia in Europe and Asia. He led the landmark Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study and has subsequently been involved in many other diabetes prevention studies in China, Colombia, India, the United Kingdom and Mauritius, as well as supervised a nationwide diabetes survey in Turkey.

Dr. Tuomilehto is part of a number of multinational collaborations. He leads the 17-country DE-PLAN project (Diabetes in Europe -- Prevention Using Lifestyle, Physical Activity and Nutritional Intervention) and has promoted collaboration between Europe and Latin America in diabetes epidemiology and prevention. He is also working with the ministries of health of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia to evaluate screening strategies for type 2 diabetes risk and works with several U.S. diabetes research teams.

More than 14,000 top scientists, physicians and other health care professionals from around the world will share the latest cutting-edge research and learn the most up-to-date information on prevention, treatment and care, at the Association's Scientific Sessions taking place June 13-17, 2014. 

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes® and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

Contact:
Madison Trimble
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