Tamara K. Oser, MD is a mom and a spouse to people living with diabetes. She transitioned her career to focus on conducting research to improve the lives of people with diabetes when her daughter, Jessica, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes shortly after she turned seven. She became involved in many community organizations that support patients and families with diabetes and was able to learn firsthand their unmet needs. She also saw how hard managing a complex chronic disease was for her own family and was determined to do what she could to help others living with diabetes. She is a Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Associate Director of the Practice Innovation Program, and Founder and Director of the Primary Care Diabetes Lab. As a practicing family physician, she has extensive clinical expertise in many practice settings and currently practices in a rural Federally Qualified Health Center with a large Hispanic/Latino population. Her research focuses on the value of peer support in managing diabetes, diabetes technologies, and developing interventions to decrease disparities in the treatment of diabetes.

Sean M. Oser, MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Director of the Practice Innovation Program. Before relocating to Colorado, he was Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine and Associate Chief Medical Officer for Penn State Health’s Academic Practice Division. He places a strong emphasis on providing patient-centered, evidence-based, team-based, comprehensive care. He is a proponent of harnessing human, community, and technology resources in providing high-quality longitudinal care and enhanced communication with patients. Dr. Oser lives with type 1 diabetes himself, has a daughter with type 1 diabetes, and treats many patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. He is active in diabetes research, especially around advanced diabetes technologies in primary care, decreasing disparities between primary care and specialty diabetes care, and making sure that patients can get the best treatments and technologies, wherever they receive their care.

E. Seth Kramer, DO, MPH, DABOM is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He has dedicated his career to serving as a primary care physician, focused on the management of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. He has focused his efforts in research on diabetes care, obesity management, and the utilization of virtual care models. He is a passionate advocate for obesity and diabetes care, having spearheaded the establishment of an innovative virtual patient-facing nutritional program across Colorado primary care clinics, offering immediate and accessible nutritional education delivered by physicians and registered dietitians. He is actively engaged in the Obesity Care Continuum and the Obesity Care Advocacy Network, advocating for improved obesity and diabetes care policies at both state and federal legislative levels, as well as promoting coverage for obesity and diabetes treatment.

Jessica Parascando is a Program Manager in the Department of Family Medicine and joined the Primary Care Diabetes Lab in 2023. She has a master’s degree in public health, with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics, as well as over 10 years of research experience working on a variety of health topics, including diabetes. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and reading.

Elizabeth is a Registered Nurse with the Primary Care Diabetes Lab at the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine. She was previously a Research Coordinator at the Barbara Davis Center managing multiple studies investigating comorbidities of type 1 diabetes. Following nursing school, she practiced as a bedside nurse caring for general surgery and trauma patients. She is passionate about patient care and the value that research can bring to the advancement and impact of primary healthcare.

Britney is a Senior Research Professional with the Primary Care Diabetes Lab. She has previously worked with the CReST team at the CCTSI and with the Barbara Davis Center as a Student Research Assistant. She graduated in 2017 with Bachelor's in Human Nutrition/Pre-med and Biological Sciences from Oklahoma State University. Britney's father has had Type One Diabetes since before she was born which shaped her education and career path into what it is today. For the past ten years, Britney volunteers her time in the summers to a children's diabetes camp as a Senior Medical Counselor. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and hanging out with her husband and dogs named Lemon and Potato.

Kelsey Huss is a Senior Research Services Professional in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado. She was a 4th grade and STEM education teacher for 8 years at a school on the eastern plains of Colorado. As a person with diabetes, she was intrigued and excited to teach a student with diabetes in her first year. Over the years, her love for helping and connecting with people with diabetes on the eastern plains grew. After serving as a member of a community advisory council on a project with Dr. Tamara Oser, she expressed her innate desire to do more within the diabetes world. Within her role, Kelsey can partner with primary care practices to improve the lives of those living with diabetes.

Danika Buss is a Research Services Professional in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado and she joined the Primary Care Diabetes Lab team in 2023. She graduated from St. Olaf College in 2018 with degrees in psychology and English and has worked in healthcare research since 2019. Danika is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Colorado School of Public Health, concentrating in Population Mental Health and Wellbeing. She is proud to contribute to research at CU that is actively making a positive difference in the lives of both patients and providers. When she’s not busy with work or school, Danika enjoys reading, playing volleyball, and adventuring outdoors with her rescue dog, Koda.

Antonio (Tony) Calderon is a third-year medical student here at CU and got into diabetes research through his interests in family and preventative medicine. Tony hopes to make a small contribution to advancing the treatment and prevention of diabetes through his work in the lab. Tony also enjoys running, skiing, reading science fiction and spending time with his wife and 2 dogs.

Shwetan Kumar is a student at University of Colorado Boulder currently majoring in Integrative Physiology on the Pre-Medical Route. He enjoys skiing, golfing, and really anything outdoors. He loves going hiking almost every weekend when it is warm. A fun fact about Shwetan is that he is the first person born in the United States in his entire family.

Tristen Hall is a Senior Instructor conducting qualitative and mixed methods research in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Colorado. She has over 15 years of experience in community health and primary care research and evaluation. Her research interests include improving delivery of primary care to reduce inequities in chronic disease, especially management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes; expanding access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder in primary care; and wellbeing of the primary care team workforce, particularly medical assistants. She received her PhD in Health & Behavioral Sciences from the University of Colorado Denver and holds a Master of Public Health from Michigan State University.

Dr. Jortberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CU-SOM). She holds a PhD in Human Nutrition, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. Dr. Jortberg has been at CU-SOM since 1995, starting in the Department of Preventive Medicine as one of the study coordinators for the Diabetes Prevention Program. She has devoted her professional career to doing translational research in disease prevention, specifically in diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. She has been the Principal Investigator or co-investigator for numerous obesity and diabetes grants where innovative evidence-based implementation strategies have been implemented within primary care practices. Specifically, Dr. Jortberg was a co-investigator for an NIH-NIDDK study that developed a web-based patient self-management support system for patients with type 2 diabetes that was delivered in 36 primary care practices in Colorado and California. She also developed and was the program director for the CU-SOM weight management program for over five years. She is also a co-investigator for two continuous glucose monitoring grants for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Dr. Jortberg is an international expert in lifestyle management for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease and has presented on these topics at conferences across the globe.

Marisa Kostiuk, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist. Marisa received her bachelor’s degree with a specialization in psychology from the University of Alberta in Canada. She obtained both her master’s degree and doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University of Denver. She completed her pre-doctoral internship training at the University of Pennsylvania – Perelman School of Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship in integrated behavioral health at the Denver Health Medical Center. Currently, Marisa works as a behavioral health provider at the University of Colorado within the Department of Family Medicine in integrated primary care. She is also part of the faculty training committee for psychology student trainees at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Psychology Internship Program. Marisa’s clinical interests include chronic illness management and the integration of behavioral health services into primary care.

Bethany Kwan, PhD, MSPH is an Associate Professor and Associate Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus. She received her PhD in social psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2010, following a MSPH from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 2005. She holds a BS in Chemistry and Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University (’01). As an investigator in the University of Colorado’s Adult & Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS), she conducts pragmatic, patient-centered research and evaluation on health and health care in a variety of areas. With an emphasis on stakeholder engagement and dissemination and implementation (D&I) methods, her work addresses the integration of physical and behavioral health, chronic disease self-management, improving processes and systems of care to achieve the Quadruple Aim, pragmatic trials using electronic health data, and enhancing quality of life for patients and care partners. She works with patients and other stakeholders at all phases of research, from prioritization, to design, implementation, and dissemination of research. She mentors and teaches students, trainees, and fellow faculty on Designing for Dissemination to ensure that research innovations are efficiently and effectively adopted, used, and sustained in real world settings to improve health and well-being for all. Dr. Kwan is a member of the ACCORDS D&I program and directs the Colorado Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) Dissemination & Implementation Research Core.

Anne Nederveld, MD, MPH, is an Internal Medicine/Pediatrics trained physician who has lived and worked in Grand Junction since 2005.She has practiced primary care medicine in both private practice and safety net settings, currently working at a Federally Qualified Health Center. In 2017, she completed a primary care research fellowship through the University of Colorado. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at CU and is the director of a Western Slope Practice-based Research Network (Partners Engaged in Achieving Change in Health Network, or PEACHnet) as well as leading and participating in other community engaged research projects in Western Colorado. Her primary research interests are in obesity and diabetes treatment and prevention as well as exploring the effects of social determinants of health on practice strategies and health outcomes.

Dr. Wettergreen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at UCHealth Lone Tree Primary Care clinic, where her clinical activities focus on chronic disease state management, quality improvement initiatives, and providing pharmacotherapy consultations. Dr. Wettergreen’s clinical and research areas of interest include diabetes and diabetes-related technology, well-being, and pharmacy education.

Courtney Oser is a student at Colorado State University, where she is a part of the honors program and working towards her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with plans to pursue medicine. She also is minoring in Spanish. Both her dad and her twin sister have type 1 diabetes, so she has seen firsthand the daily struggles that come with living with type one diabetes. She is passionate about helping to make the lives of people living with diabetes easier, specifically through new technologies.

Cassandra Lyon is a 3rd year student at Colorado State University where she is working towards her bachelors in Health and Exercise Science. After CSU, she plans on attending Physical Therapy school and becoming a licensed physical therapist. Growing up, she would often visit her dad at his place of work, where he worked as a family physician. This inspired her to choose the science route as she entered into college. She is passionate about using science to improve people's lives and values the impact scientific research can have.

Jessica Oser is a 4.0 student at Colorado State University, where she is working toward her Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science while also pursuing a minor in Spanish. She has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2009, so her personal experience of living with this disease gives her a deep connection and understanding of the work being done at the Primary Care Diabetes Lab to improve the lives of others living with diabetes. She has served as an advocate for those living with diabetes and has served various leadership roles, including receiving a JDRF Hall of Fame award, being a Teen Task Force Leader for JDRF, being the Team Captain for her JDRF walk for Type 1 Diabetes team, being the top fundraiser multiple times, and being the Youth Walk Ambassador twice.

Ashwin Sarwal is a graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he graduated with a degree in Biochemistry with plans to pursue medicine. He has worked the past two years as a medical assistant in a family medicine clinic in Denver and has encountered patients of many different backgrounds, including those living with diabetes. He is passionate about health equity and values how important research and technology is in addressing the barriers faced by many when trying to receive healthcare.