A 16-page DZD brochure was published, the content of which was enriched by input from the Advisory Board. In addition, the new flyer “Shaping research together - DZD Citizens‘ and Patients’ Advisory Board” was developed. The content and design of the flyer were discussed at the meeting and final adjustments were made based on feedback from the Advisory Board.

Another focus was the responsible communication of research results, particularly with regard to potential promises of a cure. The corresponding recommendations were finalized and are intended to provide guidance in the future.

Advisory Board members actively represented at events

The members of the Advisory Board were also active outside of the meeting and took part in various specialist events. One member of the Advisory Board attended the European Diabetes Congress (EASD), became familiar with the DZD's presence there and was able to exchange ideas with (young) scientists. Another member took part in the BMBF event “Participation in Health Research - Designing with Diversity” and provided valuable input.

The Advisory Board in the digital realm: optimizing the DZD website

Documentation illustration for the advisory board meeting of Marian Meinhardt-Schönfeld (Mamei):
"I see! It says 'Diabetesfromen' in very small letters! I thought it was just a dash until just now! / Important news from the DZD Patients' Board Meeting".  © Mamei

Another important topic was the presentation of the Advisory Board on the DZD website. The members gave positive feedback on the layout, structure and user-friendliness of the site, but recommended some improvements. The need for more comprehensible language was particularly emphasized, for example through a more precise definition of the term “translation” and more general formulations such as “quickly from the lab to the people”. In addition, creative ideas were developed for the design of the advisory board page, which will now be pursued further. Particularly impressive was the spontaneous documentation illustration by Advisory Board member Marian Meinhardt-Schönfeld, which visually summed up some of the suggestions.

Outlook for 2025: key topics and planning

There was also plenty of time to look to the future. A thematic plan was drawn up for 2025, including prevention research at the DZD and preparations for the external evaluation in March 2026. Other proposed topics include the use of artificial intelligence in diabetes research and research into secondary diseases of diabetes.

A more intensive exchange between the Advisory Board and DZD scientists is considered essential. For this reason, the members of the Advisory Board will continue to participate in internal and external events in the coming year in order to further deepen the dialog with researchers.

The meeting once again showed how valuable the close exchange between science and society is - and how the Advisory Board actively contributes to the further development of the DZD with its expertise.

The Board

The Citizen and Patient Advisory Board has been supporting the work of the DZD since 2021. It advises the DZD on the translational research strategy and research projects as well as on the DZD's public relations work from the perspective of citizens and patients. The committee consists of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, relatives and interested citizens.