Niki Andorko, PhD, is a Pediatric Psychologist in the Diabetes Center for Children at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and provides outpatient and inpatient behavioral health care to patients living with diabetes. She specializes in working with patients newly diagnosed and enjoys helping families who are working to adjust to new onset. She is also passionate about developing clinical group programming for patients and their parents as well as community outreach events. She conducts research on disordered eating behavior in adolescents living with diabetes and building screening for these behaviors into diabetes clinics. Her favorite superhero is Valkyrie!

Edua Atu, an Orlando native, is a medical student at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine with interests in endocrinology and women’s health. She earned dual degrees in Psychology (B.S.) and Chemistry (B.A.) from the University of Miami, where she was active in Student Government, served as Vice President of the African Student Union, and was a General Chemistry lab TA. In medical school, she continues to lead as Chapter President of the Student National Medical Association, Volunteer Coordinator for Rising Suns Free Pharmacy, and a TA for the Summer Scholars program. She is looking forward to being a Friends for Life fellow this summer and cannot wait to meet all of the participants.

Janey Bootle, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse with over eight years of experience in type 1 diabetes research, education, and clinical care. She currently serves as a Diabetes Nurse Clinician at UF Health Pediatric Endocrinology, where she provides individualized diabetes education and supports families navigating life with diabetes. Janey has a background in clinical research, having coordinated multiple studies focused on improving diabetes outcomes and access, including efforts to engage diverse and newly diagnosed populations. As a passionate advocate for the T1D community, she combines professional expertise with personal experience, having lived with type 1 diabetes for 15 years.

Crystal Ngo Diaz is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPA) at Stanford School of Medicine. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just before starting her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Davis, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Global Disease Biology. Throughout her academic journey, Crystal has engaged in various research projects focused on patient-provider relationships and financial and insurance literacy, specifically in young adults with T1D. Of Chinese-Filipino heritage, she serves as the advocacy chair for Subtle Asian Diabetics, actively promoting inclusivity, cultural humility, and peer support within the diabetes community.

Bethany Dunn, BSN, RN, is a dedicated nurse with type 1 diabetes, which she has been managing since the age of 11. As a nurse, she brings a wealth of experience in patient care. Bethany is currently expanding into diabetes research as a nurse researcher at USF and is working towards earning her Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) certification. Bethany is passionate about exploring the latest advancements in diabetes technology and understanding the social and community aspects of living with diabetes. She is excited to combine her personal experience with her nursing background to contribute to the diabetes community. Outside work, Bethany enjoys time with family and pets as well as exploring local coffee shops and restaurants.

Sofia Fasoli is a developmental psychologist and research fellow at the Pediatric Unit B of the University Hospital of Verona and the Regional Center for Pediatric Diabetology (Italy) where she provides support to children, adolescents, and families affected by Type 1 Diabetes. She took part in the ISPAD Science School for Healthcare Professionals and, in 2024, she was awarded the Jenious Children with Diabetes Prize. She also serves as an expert in the development of Clinical Best Practice Guidelines with the Italian National Institute of Health. Her current interests focuses on the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care, Type 1 Diabetes screening, pain assessment, Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs), and therapeutic education.

Savannah Green, MDN, RDN, LDN, is a Registered Dietitian at the University of South Florida Diabetes and Endocrinology Center. She attended USF for her Bachelor of Science in Public Health and minor in Nutrition as well as The Ohio State University for her Master of Dietetics and Nutrition (MDN) and Dietetic Internship before returning to USF for her first position as a Registered Dietitian. While attending OSU, Savannah was the Lead Student Dietitian at the Columbus Free Clinic, where she served many patients with diabetes, sparking her interest to continue working with this population post-graduation. Savannah has spent the past year working towards obtaining her CDCES, and aims to one day specialize in diabetes technology education.

Didem Gunes Kaya, PhD, is a pediatric dietitian at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. She graduated in 2009, completed her master’s degree in 2017, and earned her Ph.D. in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2022 with a full scholarship. She is an active member of ISPAD and ESPE. She was selected as an ISPAD JENIOUS Ambassador and Roving Reporters in 2023, received the Allan Drash Fellowship, and was honored with the ISPAD JENIOUS CWD Award in 2024. Additionally, she was selected as a faculty member of the ISPAD Science School for Healthcare Professionals. With over 15 years of experience in pediatric nutrition and diabetes care, she is committed to improving the quality of life for children with diabetes

Maryam Haider, MBBS, FCPS, MRCPCH (UK), is a Pediatric Endocrinologist and Lecturer at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, Pakistan. After completing her FCPS Pediatrics, MRCPCH (UK), and Pediatric-endocrinology fellowship at AKUH, she cares for children with diabetes, teaches insulin-dependent management, CGM use, and carb counting, and helps create patient-education materials and training workshops for students and clinicians. An ISPAD member since 2022, she has shared work on monogenic diabetes on national and international forums. She was awarded ISPAD Allan-Drash Diabetes Fellowship at The Riley Children's Hospital, Indianapolis, USA. Chosen as a 2025 Friends for Life Fellow, she aims to bring fresh insights home to Pakistan.

Danielle Mach, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, is a dedicated registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the University of Chicago Medicine, a leading teaching hospital in Chicago. With extensive experience in clinical nutrition, Danielle specializes in helping patients manage diabetes through personalized dietary counseling and diabetes education. Passionate about empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools to improve their health, she works closely with patients, medical professionals, and students to implement evidence-based nutrition strategies and diabetes education services. Through their expertise and compassionate approach, Danielle plays a vital role in advancing diabetes care and nutrition education in a dynamic healthcare setting.

Molly Neely, CCHW, is a certified community health worker specializing in supporting children with type 1 diabetes. Molly served in the Peace Corps in Uganda from 2017-2019 and this is where her passion for community and population health began. She currently works at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where she works closely with families to ensure they receive the services and supports they need, while also contributing to initiatives that improve diabetes access, education and outcomes. In her free time, Molly likes to travel, read, and spend time with her husband, dog and two cats.

Anna Nwodo is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine candidate at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. A future family physician, she plans to pursue a fellowship in diabetology to care for both children and adults with diabetes. Living with type 1 diabetes, Anna brings personal insight to chronic disease management. Her work has focused on expanding real-time continuous glucose monitoring in primary care and improving diabetes care strategies. Her calm, patient-centered approach and commitment to community care have made her a valued clinical team member. She looks forward to joining the CWD Fellows Program to engage families affected by T1D, explore new diabetes technologies, and share her work with a like-minded community.

Cristela Romero, CPT, is a Certified Pharmacy Technician with over 10 years of experience and has been serving at the Endocrinology & Diabetes Clinic at Stanford Children’s Hospital for the past three years. In this role, she specializes in managing prior authorizations for diabetes devices, ensuring that patients and their families have timely access to the technology they need.
With a strong passion for patient advocacy, Cristela has worked diligently to bridge the gap between clinical care and pharmacy services. Through her experience at Stanford, she has deepened her knowledge of diabetes care, further strengthening her commitment to supporting and advocating for individuals living with diabetes.

Linda Rozzelle, RD, LD, CDCES, grew up in Queens, New York initially wanting to be a chef because of her love of food but decided to pursue a degree in Nutrition. She graduated from Syracuse University with a BS in Nutrition and Minor in Hospitality. She has been a Registered Dietitian for almost 19 years and has been a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist for 10 years. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband and two young daughters. She loves to eat all types of food and watch Netflix.

Alex St. John, MSc, is a researcher specializing in exercise physiology and T1D. He holds an MSc in Diabetes Medicine from the University of Dundee and is currently pursuing a PhD at L’Université de Montréal, where he investigates metabolic responses to exercise in T1D (Jane Yardley Lab). As someone living with T1D since 2013 and a lifelong athlete, Alex brings both professional and lived experience to diabetes research. Alex holds a Research to Action Fellowship with Diabetes Action Canada that translates research into community-driven solutions. Through his work with Unbiased Science, he creates science communication content for the diabetes community, maintaining @SaintJohnScience to bridge the gap between research and the real world.

Drizza Tabisola-Nuesca, FNP, CDCES, is a Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse Practitioner at Hawaii Pacific Health Medical Group. She focuses on type 1 diabetes and keeps up with the technology of Hybrid Closed Loop Pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Drizza sees pediatric patients throughout the Hawaii Islands. She is passionate about Diabetes Camp and has been a part of Hawaii ADA camp since it restarted in 2018. She has been a part of Diabetes Camps in California and in Washington State. She totally believes in the “magic of camp” and how it can be life changing for all.

Brenden Teaman, MS, is a research assistant and aspiring physician passionate about diabetes care and health education. He earned his B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and M.S. in Medical Sciences from the University of South Florida. His journey is inspired by growing up with type 1 diabetes. Brenden’s mission is to care through lived experiences while advancing outcomes via education, research, and advocacy. He supports interventional trials, screening, and NIH/industry-funded cohort studies on the USF Diabetes and Endocrinology team. Outside of work, he enjoys sports, time with loved ones, and his cat, Ghost. He is driven by the resilience that life with type 1 diabetes has instilled in him and is committed to making an impact in the community.

Lauren Wan-Sai-Cheong, BSc (Honors) is completing a Clinical Psychology Master’s and PhD program at the University of Windsor under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Kichler. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2017, she is interested in the intersection of T1D, technology, and public health systems. Her research focuses on evaluating a digital T1D transition intervention that uses text-messaging support and large language models to support youth transitioning to adult care. She aims to understand how emerging adults with different psychosocial trajectories respond to the intervention. By identifying who benefits from certain supports (and who may not), Lauren hopes this research can inform more tailored, accessible, and effective digital supports.