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