Dr. William T. Cefalu is soon to leave his duties as the executive director Pennington Biomedical Research Center to become the chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association.
Celufu has been the executive director for Pennington since 2012, and will acquire a position in the diabetes association on Feb. 20. He will replace Dr. Robert E. Ratner, who retired at the end of 2016.
Celufu said in a statement that diabetes remains one of the world's major chronic disease threats, and the association has an incredible human responsibility to change the trajectory of the disease.
He added, as a Louisianian and a physician, he has seen diabetes impact his state first hand. This new role is an immense opportunity for him to continue to significantly influence mortality, health and quality of life for so many, and he looks forward to the challenges.
Celufu was born in New Orleans and grew up in Amite. He graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University and LSU Medical School. At the University of Vermont College of Medicine, he taught and led clinical trials.
But eventually he returned to Louisiana to take over as chief of Pennington's Division of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases in 2005.
President and chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Adam Knapp said Cefalu's move could dispense Pennington with the same kind of national relation and networking opening that detecting gravitational waves did for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in Livingston Parish.
He added that LIGO was once unknown, but when they detected gravitational waves in 2016, they are now well known globally.
According to the The Advocate, Knapp added on appraisal to Cefalu, referred to him as one of the most important assets in Baton Rouge.
Celafu said in a statement that the American Diabetes Association is a scientific organization competing for research fund is a challenge.
He added that it meant to him that being the scientific and clinical director of the American Diabetes Association that he could use the expertise of Pennington.
Pennington administrators they will begin search to find replacement for Celafu.
C. Kris Kirkpatrick, chairman of the board of the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation said that it is such an honor that Celafu was asked to join and fight against diabetes. He also said that this proves the caliber of the members of Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation is really explicit.
According to the KATC, the American Diabetes Association says that Cefalu has more than 30 years of research related to diabetes. He is more than enough for the position being granted to him. And that LSU also credits Celafu for personally drawing $50 million in scientific grants and contracts for Pennington researches.
Celafu as the new chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association is expected to perform very well in his new duties and responsibilities.
