• The epidemiology and prevention of type 2 diabetes in children
  Innovative modes of health service delivery to children with chronic disease
• The prevention of childhood obesity through community engagement and participatory research
• Evaluation of public health initiatives

My research involves the treatment and prevention childhood obesity and diabetes. As rates of childhood obesity increase, type 2 diabetes in children, a disease that was previously seen only in the adults, will continue to increase. Obesity is the single most important risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and therefore, I am interested in developing and evaluating community-based programs designed to prevent childhood obesity. Also, I am interested in developing and evaluating innovative ways to provide the health services necessary for children with diabetes in order to optimize their care and prevent long term complications of this disease.

I recently completed a national surveillance study for Non-type 1 diabetes mellitus in Canadian children <18 years of age. This study will provide the minimum incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Canadian children allowing for researchers and policy makers to evaluate future trends as well as to focus prevention programs for T2DM and childhood obesity. The results of this study will be published in Diabetes Care in the upcoming months.

One of the most striking findings in the national surveillance study for type 2 diabetes was that 95% of Canadian children with T2DM are obese. Therefore, obesity is the single most important risk factor for T2DM. As a result, I am currently leading SCOPE: Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention through Community Engagement, a project rooted in the principles of community based participation. SCOPE is a community-based, multi-sectoral childhood obesity prevention project that addresses the mid- and up-stream determinants of health and incorporates the unique characteristics of BC populations. SCOPE will be piloted in the cities of Prince George and Abbotsford.

I am also working closely with Child Health BC to develop a provincial pediatric diabetes program in British Columbia. Recognizing the importance of evaluating and reporting the impact of new models of care, I will use existing provincial and national databases to determine if this provincial pediatric model of diabetes care will improve clinical (i.e. diabetes control, reduction of complications) and non-clinical outcomes (i.e. school performance, psychosocial outcomes) in children with diabetes.

Amed S, Dean HJ, Panagiotopoulos D, Sellers EAC, Hadjiyanakis S, Laubscher TA, et al. Type 2 Diabetes, Medication-Induced Diabetes, and Monogenic Diabetes in Canadian Children: A Prospective National Surveillance Study. Diabetes Care. 2009. In Press

Amed S, Daneman D, Mahmud FH, Hamilton, J. Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Youth. Expert Opinion in Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2010. In Press

Amed S, Hamilton J.: When Sugar is not so sweet: Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome. In: Hamilton J, Hozjan I, eds. Turner Syndrome: Across the Lifespan. Castlemore Graphics, Brampton ON. 2008 May:135-45

Amed S, Daneman D. Diabetes Mellitus in Children and Adolescents. Conn’s Medical Therapy 2008 Edition — submitted for publication

Amed S, Delvin E, Hamilton J. Variation in Growth Hormone Immunoassays in Clinical Practise in Canada. Hormone Research. 2008. 69(5):290-94.

Amed S, Hamilton J. When Sugar is not so sweet: Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome. In: Turner Syndrome: Across the Lifespan. Editors: Hamilton J, Hozjan I; Castlemore Graphics, Brampton, ONT; pp 135-45; 2008.

Amed S, Dean H, Hamilton J. Unraveling non-type 1 diabetes mellitus in childhood. http:/!www.cps.calEnplishlsurveillance/cpsp/Resources/Diabetes articie.odf (accessed 22.10.08)

Amed S. CPSP Highlight: Unraveling the risk factors for non-type 1 diabetes in children. Paediatr Child Health 2006; 11 (8):506

Amed S, Perlman K, Daneman D. Hypoglycaemia in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. BMJ Learning.

Rookie of the Year, Department Of Pediatrics, BC Children’s Hospital- 2009

Perls Teaching Award, Department Of Pediatrics, The Hospital For Sick Children —2008

Restracomp Fellowship Appointment—2007/08
Salary support during a second year of research fellowship in Paediatric Endocrinology
Amount: $40,000

Hoffman Laroche Canadian Paediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Research Award — 2006/07
Salary support during a year of research fellowship in Paediatric Endocrinology
Amount: $60,000

Canadian Society For Clinical Investigation Canadian Institutes Of Research (Csci/Cihr) Resident Research Prize —2004

Pediatric Resident Regional Research Competition — Winner 2004

Pediatric Resident National Research Competition — Winner 2004

Resident Clinical Teaching Award, Child Health at the Health Sciences Center and University of Manitoba — 2003-2004

Resident Teaching Award, University of Manitoba — 2003-2004