Nutrients Webinar | Nutritional Recommendations of Gestational Diabetes – What Should I Eat?
the chairs
Dear Esteemed Colleagues,
We extend our warm greetings and invite your valuable participation in a significant and timely webinar on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). GDM, which is frequently defined as diabetes first diagnosed during pregnancy, has historically garnered limited attention due to the common phenomenon of women reverting to normoglycemic states post-delivery. However, our evolving comprehension of the profound implications of GDM for both maternal health and the well-being of offspring underscores the urgency for comprehensive strategies encompassing prevention, treatment, and post-delivery care. Central to these strategies lies the pivotal role of diet and nutrition.
In light of a growing body of epidemiological and interventional evidence, the imperative of staying abreast of cutting-edge developments becomes evident. Cognizant of this need, the Special Issue of Nutrients entitled "Nutritional Recommendations of Gestational Diabetes—What Should I Eat?" aspires to synthesize evidence to aid in updating nutritional recommendations for effective GDM prevention and management. The scope of this Special Issue includes an exploration of nutritional risk factors, dietary paradigms, and eating behaviors underpinning GDM's onset and management across the pregnancy continuum. The Special Issue also aims to present emerging frontiers in nutrition, encompassing nutrigenomics, novel environmental risk factors, chrono nutrition, and the integration of digital nutrition or dietetics within the GDM landscape.
Our upcoming webinar, a confluence of knowledge and insight, marks the inauguration of this distinctive Special Issue. We are honored to host three distinguished speakers: Prof. Dr. V. Mohan (India), Prof. Dr. Barakatun Nisak (Malaysia), and Dr. Maria Angeles Rodriguez (Spain). Their multidisciplinary expertise in endocrinology, nutrition, dietetics, and life sciences promises a broad-based introduction to emerging evidence in GDM prevention and treatment. The presentations will be followed by an engaging panel discussion featuring all speakers and Prof. Khalida Ismail (UK), catalyzing a dynamic exchange of perspectives. Beyond enriching our understanding of GDM and its therapeutics, we envisage this webinar as crucial in identifying research priorities, ultimately shaping the future of both research and clinical practice in this domain. Your participation in this collective endeavor holds immense potential to redefine GDM prevention and management. We eagerly anticipate your presence, insights, and contributions to this transformative discourse.
Date: 22 September 2023 at 10:30 a.m. CEST | 10:30 p.m. EDT | 4:30 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 848 8369 3266
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet Our Speakers
Prof. Dr. Viswanathan Mohan
Dr. Mohans Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai, India;
Dr. V. Mohan is the Chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre in Chennai, South India, which is an IDF Centre of Excellence in Diabetes Care. Dr. Mohan oversees a chain of 50 diabetes centres across eight states of India and has over 600,000 registered diabetes patients. He is also the Chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, which is an ICMR Centre for Advanced Research in Diabetes. His main research interests are the epidemiology of diabetes and its complications, the genomics of diabetes including monogenic diabetes, precision diabetes, and nutrition in diabetes.
Deeply interested in research from his undergraduate medical student days until present, Dr. Mohan has published 1605 papers in peer-reviewed journals, including 1030 original articles. His research has attracted over 187,000 citations and has an ‘H-index’ of 150.
Dr. Mohan has received over 200 awards including the Dr. Harold Rifkin Award from the American Diabetes Association and the FRS from the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
For his extensive contribution to the field of diabetes, in 2012, Dr. Mohan was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award given by the Govt. of India.
Prof. Dr. Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia;
Prof. Dr. Barakatun Nisak Bt Mohd Yusof is a professor and currently holds the position of Deputy Dean of Academic (Health Sciences) and Students' Affairs, at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). She is a member of the Research Centre of Nutrition and Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases (NNCDs) and a research associate of the Institute for Social Science Studies at UPM. She is also a practising dietitian in the area of metabolic obesity and diabetes. She is a Council Member of the Malaysian Dietitian Association (MDA) and the Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society (MEMS) and the Assistant Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Society of Obesity (MyOS). Dr. Nisak received her Ph.D. in Dietetics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia before completing her postdoctoral research fellowship at Joslin Diabetes Centre, Harvard Medical School, in Diabetes Nutrition. Broadly, her research aims to improve metabolic control and quality of life in those with type 2 diabetes, women with gestational diabetes, and obese individuals. Within this framework, she has shared her experience with the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, industrial partnerships, and professional associations in developing diabetes nutrition-related guidelines such as "Clinical Practice Guidelines for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes" and "Diabetes in Pregnancy." She spearheaded the drive for the Ramadan Nutrition Plan initiative for people with diabetes. For her work in diabetes nutrition, she received the Malaspina International Scholar Travel (MIST) Award from the International Life Science Institute (ILSI).
Dr. María Ángeles Martínez
Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Unitat de Nutrició, 43201 Reus, Spain;
Dr. María Ángeles Martínez, Ph.D. postdoctoral researcher at the Human Nutrition Unit (School of Medicine in Reus, URV, Catalonia, Spain), IISPV-URV–Sara Borrell fellowship. Biotechnologist and Doctor of Nanoscience, Materials, and Chemical Engineering. She is currently involved in three different scientific studies. First, she is working on a project called LED-FERTYL (LED-FERTYL (dietary, environmental, and lifestyle determinants associated with semen analysis and other parameters related to male fertility)), in which she is focused on the evaluation of endocrine disruptions and their impact on sperm quality in a population of healthy men aged 18–40 years. In addition, she and her group are involved in the PREDIMED-PLUS study (a multicenter, randomized, primary prevention field trial of cardiovascular disease in over 6000 community-dwelling older men and women aged 55–75 years with a BMI ≥ 27 to <40 kg/m2 and metabolic syndrome) with the aim of assessing endocrine disruptors and adiposity, obesity status, and glucose homeostasis parameters. In addition, in this PREDIMED-PLUS population, the group is also conducting a study aimed at characterizing the gut microbiota profile related to cognition.
The MDPI Nutrients webinar titled “Nutritional Recommendations of Gestational Diabetes – What Should I Eat?” was a step towards collating and informing research and practice on the growing body of evidence on diet and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). The webinar was chaired by Dr Sangeetha Shyam (Human Nutrition Unit, Rovira i Virgili University, Spain) and Prof Dr Khalida Ismail (Kings College London, UK). Three distinguished speakers, Prof. Dr V. Mohan (Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, India), Prof. Dr Barakatun Nisak (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia), and Dr Maria Angeles Martinez (Human Nutrition Unit, Rovira i Virgili University, Spain), shared current perspectives in diabetology, dietetic practice, and life sciences relating to the role of diet in preventing and managing GDM. Topics discussed in this webinar included evolving definitions of GDM, GDM prevalence in various populations, the importance of early diagnosis, the role of diet in prevention and management, and the emerging area of dietary exposure to endocrine disruptors and their potential impact on maternal and fetal outcomes. Panelists also discussed the need for cultural sensitivity in tailoring targeted interventions for various populations and shared strategies that ensured good recruitment and retention of women postpartum in lifestyle intervention. The webinar marks the official launch of a Special Issue of Nutrients also entitled "Nutritional Recommendations of Gestational Diabetes – What Should I Eat?". This issue aims to synthesize evidence to aid in updating nutritional recommendations for effective GDM prevention and management.
The webinar was hosted via Zoom and required registration to attend. The full recording can be found below. In order to learn about future webinars, be sure to sign up to our newsletter by clicking on “Subscribe” at the top of the page.
Guest Editors: Dr. Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof and Dr. Sangeetha Shyam
Deadline for Manuscript Submissions: 26 February 2024