August 15, 2026 | Virtual Conference Diabetes Simplified 2026

Dr. Jeffrey Habert is a family physician who has practised in Thornhill for 36 years and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.

He is co-editor of Canadian Primary Care Today, a member of Diabetes Canada’s Dissemination and Implementation Committee, and recipient of the 2023 Gerald S. Wong Award from Diabetes Canada for significant contributions to diabetes care.

Dr. Habert is a co-author of the 2023 CANMAT MDD Guidelines, the 2024 consensus recommendations for the management of chronic insomnia in Canada, and the recently published Canadian Primary Care Hypertension Guidelines.

He has a strong interest in clinical practice guidelines and has served on committees focused on depression, stroke, ASA in primary care, hypertension, acne, and thrombosis. He is also the former co-chair of Thrombosis Canada Clinical Guides.

His clinical interests include diabetes, obesity, hypertension, depression, ADHD, insomnia, lipids, and osteoporosis. He has published in many of these areas, is a national speaker on multiple topics, and contributes to scientific committees that develop educational programs.

Jenna Hammond is a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator based in Sudbury, Ontario, with more than eight years of frontline nursing experience across a range of clinical settings. She is passionate about health education, with a particular focus on diabetes prevention and support in Indigenous communities across Ontario. Jenna is committed to empowering frontline workers and communities through knowledge sharing, evidence-based education, and culturally appropriate health practices. Her broad clinical experience has strengthened her ability to work effectively in diverse healthcare settings while building meaningful relationships with communities, families, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams.

Dr. Akshay Jain is the first Canadian physician to be triple board-certified by the American Boards in Endocrinology, Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine.

He trained in Internal Medicine at Rochester, NY where he became the only 4-time winner of the prestigious Rochester Academy of Medicine Awards. He completed his Fellowship in Endocrinology at Harbor UCLA/City of Hope in Los Angeles, CA.

He is the only non-American physician to win the AACE Rising Star in Endocrinology Award (2022) and to feature on Medscape’s list of 25 Top Rising Stars of Medicine (2020). He is the first North American to win the prestigious Etzwiler Diabetes Scholarship at the International Diabetes Center and Mayo Clinic in MN, USA.

He is a co-author of the 2025 Obesity Canada Guidelines chapter on Pharmacotherapy and the 2023 Diabetes Canada Guidelines chapter on Mental Health and Diabetes. He is a renowned educator and has spoken at over 1000 medical conferences/events across the world till date. He is also the co-chair of the Obesity Update and Diabetes Update annual conferences. He is a question-writer for the Endocrine Society Self-Assessment Program (ESAP).

He has active YouTube/Instagram channels dedicated to patient education with thousands of views till date.

He is fluent in 6 languages including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Marwari and Urdu. He is a winner of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, the Fraser Health Innovator Award, the Healthcare Achievement Award by Drishti Magazine and was also featured on The Peak’s list of Emerging Leaders of Canada.

Dr. Ian Kasloff is a family physician with a focused practice in diabetes care and obesity. He graduated from the University of Manitoba Max Rady College of Medicine in 2017 and completed his family medicine residency at Family Medical Center St. Boniface, with additional training at Scripps in San Diego.

After several years in mixed urban and rural practice in Winnipeg and Lac du Bonnet, Dr. Kasloff is now a full-time associate family physician at Winnipeg Clinic, where he provides consultations in diabetes and obesity care within an allied health team-based setting. He is a member of the Peer Support Network, contributes to research related to cardiorenal health in diabetes and obesity care, and has helped establish primary care journal clubs to share clinical updates across a range of topics.

Dr. James Kim is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary, specializing in diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and chronic migraine. After completing a Master of Healthcare Professional Education, he focused on advancing healthcare professional education and has lectured at numerous universities and conferences. He is also lead editor for the Primary Care section of the Canadian Journal of Diabetes and co-editor of Canadian Primary Care Today.

With Diabetes Canada, Dr. Kim serves as a steering committee member for the Clinical Practice Guidelines, co-chair of the Primary Care Special Interest Group, Dissemination and Implementation committee member, and lead chapter author of the Diabetes and MASLD in adults guidelines. He is also a member of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice guidelines writing group, a scientific committee member of Migraine Canada, and a member of an international medical education organization. As one of the first Canadian members of the Global MASH Council, he collaborates with international experts on MASLD. He is currently leading a project in Calgary and PEI to reduce specialist wait times and was recently designated a Certified Professional in CPD (Healthcare) for his contributions to continuing medical education in Canada.

Janet MacRae, BScPharm, CDE, is an experienced primary care pharmacist with more than 20 years of experience in progressively expanding roles in primary care, chronic disease management, and healthcare leadership. She has played a key role in developing innovative pharmacist-led services, including multidisciplinary diabetes care and blood pressure management clinics.

In addition to her clinical work, she has served as a lecturer and preceptor with Dalhousie University, with a focus on diabetes and cardiometabolic conditions. She is also an active contributor to professional education, delivering presentations and developing continuing education content for healthcare professionals on evidence-based diabetes practice.

Laurel Zvaigzne is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Certified Bariatric Educator. She spent 11 years working in endocrinology clinics, specializing in the complex care of individuals living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as those managing overweight and obesity. In 2025, she transitioned into private practice to better integrate her professional passions with her personal life as a mother of two young boys.

Having seen firsthand the stress and confusion that can accompany chronic disease management, especially when multiple conditions overlap, she has dedicated her practice to bringing clarity to nutrition guidance. Her goal is to simplify complex information and help individuals find a sustainable path forward at a pace that works for them.