Meet the Team
We're here to be your partners in managing diabetes. Our experienced team is committed to empowering you on your journey to better health.
Viral N. Shah, MD
Founder
Dr. Shah is a Key Opinion Leader in the field of diabetes with more than 15 years of experience caring for people with diabetes as well as conducting diabetes technology research.
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Hal Joseph PA-C/CDE
Co-Founder
Hal has been living with type 1 diabetes for the past 60 years. He has worked as a PA/CDE for 45 years with the majority of his clinical work focused on improving the care and support of his patients. Hal was PA of the year in 2010 for his work in diabetes care in an underserved region of the country.
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Trevor Dobbertin
CTO
Trevor is a computer science graduate currently working as a QA engineer in healthcare technology. With a background in coding that spans over a decade, he brings a comprehensive understanding of software development to his role in ensuring the reliability of healthcare applications.
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Emma Eikermann
Project Manager
Emma is living with type 1 diabetes and has worked as clinical research coordinator at Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Center and the Barbara Davis Center, leading diabetes centers. She has been instrumental in designing multiple digital health apps addressing issues from chronic pain and opioid tapering to child mental health support.
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Daniel Cherñavvsky, MD
Research Associate Professor, Center for Diabetes Technology at the University of Virginia
Dr. Cherñavvsky has dedicated over 20 years to pioneering diabetes technology research at the University of Virginia. His groundbreaking work includes collaborating with a Nobel laureate and leading crucial studies on Automatic Insulin Delivery systems for children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. As former Chief Medical Officer at TypeZero and Sr. Director of Medical Affairs at Dexcom, he was instrumental in advancing diabetes care technology, including leading the pivotal trial that secured FDA approval for Tandem Control IQ in children. He's published over 40 peer-reviewed articles, is the senior editor of The Artificial Pancreas book, and serves on the board of the International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes.
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David C. Klonoff, MD
Medical Director, Dorothy L. and James E. Frank Diabetes Research Institute of Mills-Peninsula Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF
Dr. Klonoff is an endocrinologist specializing in the development and use of diabetes technology. He is Medical Director of the Dorothy L. and James E. Frank Diabetes Research Institute of Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in San Mateo, California and a Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF. Dr. Klonoff received the American Diabetes Association’s 2019 Outstanding Physician Clinician Award. He received an FDA Director’s Special Citation Award in 2010 for outstanding contributions related to diabetes technology. He received the IEEE Standards Association Conformity Assessment Award in 2022.
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Jeff Hitchcock
Founder, President, and CEO of Children with Diabetes
Jeff Hitchcock is the Founder, President, and CEO of Children with Diabetes. He started CWD in June of 1995 to share his family's experience caring for a child with type 1 diabetes. He and his wife, Brenda, are forever grateful for the families from CWD and Friends for Life who have helped so many people to live well with type 1 diabetes.
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Kelly Close
President and Founder, Close Concerns
Kelly Close founded Close Concerns in 2002; its mission is to make everyone smarter about diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity. Kelly and her Close Concerns team attend 40+ scientific, regulatory, and advocacy meetings annually and cover 40+ companies quarterly for Closer Look, a highly-praised news service covering the goings-on in the field. Kelly has a BA from Amherst College in economics and English and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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