Meet The Scientist Mehdi Benkhala, Ph.D

Mehdi Benkahla, Ph.D.

I graduated from the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia in 2012 with a Master of Science degree in Microbiology. Then, I was awarded an Erasmus Mundus Ph.D. scholarship to study at the University of Lille, France from which I graduated with a Ph.D. in Virology. I joined the group of Prof. Matthias von Herrath at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in July 2018.

Talking points:

• Viruses and type 1 diabetes : T1D is an autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology. The disease pathogenesis is the result of a complex interaction between genetic, immune and environmental factors. Among the potential environmental factors, viral infections arise as critical triggers for type 1 diabetes development.

• Fixed tissues from nPOD, advantages and disadvantages : Tissues collected from organs donors can either be fixed in formalin and then embedded in paraffin (FFPE) or frozen.

• Islet organoids and live human pancreas slices (Current projects that we are preparing): 
  • Islet organoids : replicating the organ function, multicellular complexity, and three dimensional cellular organization in an in-vitro setting.

• Live human pancreas slices: Obtained from nPOD, these slices can be cultured for 2 weeks which provide a live readout of several aspects of beta cell function.

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Welcome to the Pardon My Pancreas podcast!! This show is all about the REAL life with diabetes. Your two host are Matt Vande Vegte & Ali Abdulkareem. Both type 1 diabetics, both diabetes advocates, both diabetes content creators. Matt is the man behind the brand at FTF Warrior which is an tribe dedicated to helping people living with diabetes achieve a healthier life through online coaching while Ali is the creator of the Diabetes Daily Hustle from the Youtube vlogs and podcast show! 


This episode is sponsored by FTF Warrior. An online community for diabetics dedicated to helping people live a healthier life! 


https://www.ftfwarrior.com

Follow Matt here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ftfwarrior/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ftfwarrior/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCCzwLc-MTNk9636tQyXuwQ
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Follow Ali here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ali.abdlkareem/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgPM9FFVTOX5gN_qnVHRNA
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Disclaimer: While we share our experiences with diabetes, nothing we discuss should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your doctor or medical professional for your health and diabetes management

Music: https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud