The Institute is bringing to Santa Barbara world-renowned historian and author Professor Michael Bliss from the University of Toronto and medical fellow, diabetes from Eli Lilly & Company John Holcombe, M.D. will be speak about “The Coming Age of Medical Miracles” at the University Club.

SDRI Chairman of the Board Jim Sloan will host the meeting. In addition, the annual “Sansum Awards” will be presented to Professor Bliss in science and to Santa Barbaran Betty Rosness for volunteerism.

Professor Bliss will speak on “Diabetes and the Discovery of Insulin” and Dr. Holcombe will speak on “The Miracle of the Worldwide Distribution of Insulin”. Described as a riveting and unforgettable speaker, Dr. Bliss is a 34-year faculty member at the University of Toronto where he holds cross appointments in the Faculty of Medicine and the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. He is currently writing a biography of Harvey Cushing, Osler’s first biographer and the founder of neurosurgery, which will complete a two volume biographical study of the rise of North American medicine.

One of Canada’s most distinguished historians, Professor Bliss has produced a series of significant books in three different medical subfields: the history of business, medicine and politics in Canada. He has written numerous prize-winning books on medical history including The Discovery of Insulin (1982), Banting: A Biography (1984), Plague: A Story of Smallpox in Montreal (1991), William Osler: A Life in Medicine (1999).

John H. Holcombe, M.D. is a Medical Fellow, Diabetes, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis. He earned his medical degree at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. After serving as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, he joined Lilly Research Laboratories as a clinical investigator in 1987. In 2001 he was appointed Medical Advisor at Lilly Research Laboratories responsible for phase 2 through phase 4 research on diabetes products.

The lectures will explore the fascinating story of the discovery of insulin in Canada in 1921 and the subsequent import of this discovery to the United States by Dr. William Sansum of Santa Barbara in 1922. Dr. Sansum went on to administer the first life-saving insulin to patients with diabetes in Santa Barbara at the corner of Bath and Pueblos Streets. He established Sansum Diabetes Research Institute to carry on his lifelong dream to find a cure, improve treatment, and prevent diabetes•sixty years ago.

Historical background:

At the turn of the century there were not many ways for doctors to save their patients. They could provide good nursing and accurate diagnoses, but had no cures. The first breakthrough came when thyroid extract was administered to treat cretinism. The next medical miracle was initiated by Dr. Fred Banting of Toronto. It was known at that time that animals without a pancreas developed severe diabetes and died. But no one had been able to find the substance in the pancreas that was responsible.

In 1921, Dr. Banting jotted down an idea about isolating the internal secretions s in the pancreatic ducts of dogs. He took his idea to the University of Toronto. Eventually the Nobel Prize for the discovery of insulin was award to Banting (who split his prize with Charles Best) and J.H.R. MacLeod (who split his prize with biochemist James Collip).

In addition the public is invited to free lectures that are scheduled on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 28 at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, 2219 Bath Street, Santa Barbara.

Another lecture will be presented by John Holcombe, M.D. from Eli Lilly and Company from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. entitled “Advances in Product Development: GLA-1 and Incretin Mimetics in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes”.

All lectures and the anniversary reception are free and open to the public. Reservations to the reception are appreciated by calling Sansum Diabetes Research Institute at (805) 682-7640 x243.