Trainee Working Group
The Alberta Diabetes Institute Trainee Working Group (ADI TWG) plays a central role in the organization and delivery of ADI Research Day. TWG members lead and coordinate key components of the event, including keynote speaker selection, abstract review and judging, volunteer coordination, event logistics, and communications and social media engagement. The TWG is responsible for organizing and deploying trainee volunteers for Research Day, matching interested students to roles that support event operations while providing meaningful opportunities for professional development and engagement with the broader ADI community.
Beyond Research Day, the ADI TWG serves as a key support and advocacy group for ADI trainees. The TWG works to enhance the trainee experience by providing guidance on navigating graduate school, fostering healthy and productive supervisor–trainee relationships, and supporting trainees in identifying and applying for scholarships, fellowships, and other funding opportunities. Through peer mentorship, knowledge sharing, and collaboration with ADI leadership, the TWG aims to ensure trainees feel supported, informed, and represented throughout their training.
The effectiveness of the ADI TWG reflects the strength and diversity of its membership. TWG members come from a wide range of faculties, laboratories, and disciplinary backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to diabetes research and trainee development. This diversity enables the TWG to support ADI trainees and ADI activities in thoughtful, inclusive, and collaborative ways.
For general inquiries related to trainee advocacy or ADI Research Day, please contact Arghyadip Bose, Vice-Chair of Trainee Advocacy and Guidance, at arghyadi@ualberta.ca.
Reid McClure, MSc
TWG Chair
Reid McClure, MSc
TWG ChairReid McClure is a PhD student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta, working at the Alberta Diabetes Institute under the supervision of Drs. Jane Yardley and Normand Boulé. His research focuses on exercise physiology in type 1 diabetes, with a particular emphasis on how exercise timing and prandial state influence glycaemic responses and barriers to exercise during acute exercise and long-term exercise training. He works across multiple projects, including randomized crossover trials and a 12-week fasted-exercise intervention, integrating physiological data, CGM analytics, and behavioural factors to improve the safety, feasibility, and metabolic impact of exercise in adults with type 1 diabetes.
Reid’s work sits at the intersection of physiology, behaviour, and lived experience. He has contributed to several peer-reviewed publications in exercise metabolism and diabetes, and has played central roles in study design, data analysis, and knowledge translation across multiple ongoing research programs as a co-investigator and patient partner. Prior to graduate studies, he competed internationally as a professional road cyclist on a team composed exclusively of athletes with type 1 diabetes, an experience that shaped his research trajectory and informed his commitment to reducing barriers to exercise for people with type 1 diabetes. His research aims to generate practical, evidence-based strategies to support people with type 1 diabetes in being active.
Arghyadip Bose, MSc
TWG Vice-Chair - Trainee Advocacy & GuidanceArghyadip is a PhD student in the Department of Surgery (FoMD) supervised by Drs. Andrew Pepper and Gregory Korbutt. His research focuses on looking at the subcutaneous space as an alternate site for islet transplantation, with an emphasis on generating vasculature subcutaneously to support islet function. With a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, he aims to bridge the gap between fundamental science and clinical application and contribute to type 1 diabetes research by making islet transplantation safer and more accessible.
Giovanna Guimaraes Lopes Bergamasco, MSc
TWG Vice-Chair - Engagement & CommunicationsGiovanna is a first-year PhD student in Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Alberta, supervised by Drs. Andrea Haqq and Carla Prado. Her research aims to explore the effects of six months of semaglutide treatment on changes in energy expenditure and body composition in adults living with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
She completed her academic training in Brazil, her home country, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, a Postgraduate degree in Hospital Nutrition, and a Master’s degree in Health Sciences. Alongside her academic studies, she worked for seven years in a hospital setting in Brazil as a registered dietitian in the Clinical Nutrition department and was also an active member of a multidisciplinary diabetes care team. Giovanna values translating research into practical applications and the dissemination of knowledge.
About
In 2018, a call was sent out to ADI trainees requesting their interest in forming an ADI Trainee Working Group (TWG) that could better represent their needs during their time at the ADI. The response was overwhelming, and a short time later an initial group instituted a Terms of Reference and nominated an Executive body of the ADI TWG. This is a significant undertaking for our trainees due to the diverse faculties that make up the ADI; however, the ADI TWG plans to host events and functions that will unify all trainees within the ADI, allowing for more collaboration and student networking.
From hosting various social events, to helping organize the ADI Annual Research Day event, the ADI TWG is already an active and vibrant part of the ADI. The ADI administration will continue working with the ADI TWG to provide ongoing support for summer students, undergraduate/graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, including career development and additional networking opportunities.