Elizabeth Arquin Walker is an American diabetes nurse scientist who is emeritus Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her research considers how people with diabetes may better manage their disease. In 2000 she served as the President of the American Diabetes Association. She is a Fellow of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
Early life and education
editWalker earned her bachelor's degree at Chestnut Hill College. She moved to South Bend, Indiana for her graduate studies, where she earned a master's degree. She moved to Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska for a bachelor's degree in nursing.[1] After graduating, Walker worked as a nurse in the University of Nebraska Medical Center.[1] When her husband's career forced her to move to New Haven, Connecticut, she became a visiting nurse. In this capacity she witnessed first hand how important it was for diabetic patients to be able to manage their own health.v She held various hospital positions in Connecticut, including at the Yale School of Nursing, before starting her doctoral research. In 1988 Walker completed her PhD at the Catholic University of America.
Research and career
editAfter earning her doctorate Walker joined the State University of New York as an Associate Professor of Nursing. She moved to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1990, where she was eventually promoted to Professor in 2004. Her research considered evidence-based approaches to improve the self-management of diabetes.[2] She has shown that regular telephone counselling can serve as a high impact, low cost tool to lower blood sugar in adults with uncontrolled diabetes.[3][4] Unfortunately, printed self management tools are not sufficient to improve the control of diabetes.[3]
In 2016 Walker was awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to launch a centre that focussed on transnational diabetes research.[5] The centre has a particular focus on the health of people from low-income communities and marginalised ethnic groups.[6] Whilst Walker initially focused on diabetes control in New York City, she soon shifted her focus to global health, with a particular focus on Uganda.[7]
Walker worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement the Power Up for Health lifestyle intervention programme which looked to prevent diabetes in high-risk individuals. The programme was offered in recreation centres across New York City and delivered by multi-lingual lifestyle coaches. Over the sixteen week intervention, participants reported weight loss of ~ 5%, as well as improvement in healthy eating and fewer depressive symptoms.[8]
Awards and honors
editWalker was elected President of the American Diabetes Association in 1999.[9] She was awarded the Creighton University Alumni Merit Award in 2002.[1] She was elected Fellow of the American Association of Diabetes Educators in 2008.[9] In 2016 Walker was awarded the American Diabetes Association Richard R. Rubin award.[10]
Selected publications
edit- Diabetes Control Complications Trial Research Group; Nathan, D. M.; Genuth, S.; Lachin, J.; Cleary, P.; Crofford, O.; Davis, M.; Rand, L.; Siebert, C. (1993-09-30). "The Effect of Intensive Treatment of Diabetes on the Development and Progression of Long-Term Complications in Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus". New England Journal of Medicine. 329 (14): 977–986. doi:10.1056/NEJM199309303291401. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 8366922. S2CID 21528496.
- Knowler, William C.; Barrett-Connor, Elizabeth; Fowler, Sarah E.; Hamman, Richard F.; Lachin, John M.; Walker, Elizabeth A.; Nathan, David M.; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group (2002-02-07). "Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin". The New England Journal of Medicine. 346 (6): 393–403. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa012512. ISSN 1533-4406. PMC 1370926. PMID 11832527.
- Group, The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Research (2002-12-01). "The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP): Description of lifestyle intervention". Diabetes Care. 25 (12): 2165–2171. doi:10.2337/diacare.25.12.2165. ISSN 0149-5992. PMC 1282458. PMID 12453955.
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References
edit- ^ a b c "2002 Elizabeth A. Walker, D.N.Sc., RN, BA'76". www.alumni.creighton.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "Elizabeth A. Walker, Ph.D. | Faculty Directory | Albert Einstein College of Medicine". www.einstein.yu.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ^ a b "'Dialing for Diabetes Control' Helps Urban Adults Lower Blood Sugar". Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ Walker, Elizabeth A.; Shmukler, Celia; Ullman, Ralph; Blanco, Emelinda; Scollan-Koliopoulus, Melissa; Cohen, Hillel W. (2011-01-01). "Results of a Successful Telephonic Intervention to Improve Diabetes Control in Urban Adults: A randomized trial". Diabetes Care. 34 (1): 2–7. doi:10.2337/dc10-1005. ISSN 0149-5992. PMC 3005454. PMID 21193619.
- ^ Walker, Elizabeth; Wylie-Rosett, Judith. "New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "NIH Funds Center for Diabetes Translation Research Led by Albert Einstein College of Medicine". Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "Elizabeth A. Walker, Ph.D. | Einstein Experts for Media | Faculty | Albert Einstein College of Medicine". www.einstein.yu.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ Walker, Elizabeth A.; Weiss, Linda; Gary-Webb, Tiffany L.; Realmuto, Lindsey; Kamler, Alexandra; Ravenell, Joseph; Tejeda, Carlos; Lukin, Jennifer; Schechter, Clyde B. (2018-07-01). "Power Up for Health: Pilot Study Outcomes of a Diabetes Prevention Program for Men from Disadvantaged Neighborhoods". American Journal of Men's Health. 12 (4): 989–997. doi:10.1177/1557988318758787. ISSN 1557-9883. PMC 6131473. PMID 29540129.
- ^ a b "DiabetesTranslation Research Centers". www.diabetes-translation.org. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "Scientific Sessions Webcasts 2016 | American Diabetes Association". professional.diabetes.org. Retrieved 2020-08-08.