The Vellore Endocrinology International Congress 2025 was conducted on January 10th and 11th at the Bagayam Campus of CMC Vellore with the theme: Navigating the Heterogeneity of Diabetes on a Global Basis. It was a seminal meeting, the first of its kind, wherein faculty from 5 continents and 15 countries gathered to discuss and deliberate the aetiopathogenesis of young onset diabetes. There was a particular focus on a specific form under-recognized globally called malnutrition-modulated diabetes, which is attaining increasing importance following the publication of a seminal article in the journal Diabetes Care in 2022.

The conference, endorsed by the Endocrine Society of India, was the collaborative effort of the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, CMC Vellore, ARUMDA Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, Hyderabad, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA.

The conference was preceded by a two-day workshop with an elite group of 40 national and international faculty, including the President of the International Diabetes Federation, Prof. Peter Schwarz, and the President of the American Diabetes Association, Prof. Mandeep Bajaj. The outcome of the workshop was most impactful: the Vellore Declaration was announced, indicating that low birthweight (intrauterine malnutrition), along with post-delivery malnutrition, may be the precipitating factor for a disease that is deficient in insulin. Prof. Peter Schwarz coined the term Type 5 Diabetes as a potential nomenclature for this condition.

Inauguration Ceremony

The inauguration ceremony was held on 10th January 2025 at the Scudder Auditorium, beginning with an opening prayer followed by the Tamil Thai Vazhthu. The respected Prof. Dr. K. Narayanasamy MD DM (Gastro), Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, presided over the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Other distinguished dignitaries present at the ceremony included:

• Prof. Peter Schwarz, President, International Diabetes Federation
• Prof. A. K. Azad Khan, Regional Chair (Southeast Asia), International Diabetes Federation
• Prof. Abodo Jacko Rhedoor, Regional Chair (Africa), International Diabetes Federation
• Prof. Narendra Kotwal, President, Endocrine Society of India
• Dr. Vijay Viswanathan, President, Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India
• Dr. Faria Afsana, President, South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies
• Dr. Muthu Kumaran Jayapaul, President, Endocrine Society of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
• Prof. Vikram Mathews, Director, CMC Vellore
• Prof. Solomon Sathishkumar, Principal, CMC Vellore
• Prof. Rajesh I., Medical Superintendent, CMC Vellore

The vote of thanks was delivered by Prof. Felix Jebasingh, the Organising Secretary.

Scientific Sessions

Staying true to the theme, the scientific sessions covered relevant and diverse aspects of holistic Diabetes Management, including:

• Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
• Pregnancy and Hyperglycemia
• Models in Diabetes Management
• Malnutrition Modulated Diabetes Mellitus
• The Liver: Glucose, Fat, and Insulin Resistance
• Chronic Pancreatitis, The Beta Cell and Transplant
• Clinical Genetics, Phenotypes and other matters from Bench to Bedside
• Life course, The Barker Hypothesis and Diabetes
• Nutrition, Body Composition and DXA
• Insulin Pumps
• The Foot in Diabetes
• Novel Advances & Miscellany

Notably, the conference hosted a session on "High Impact Publishing" by Ms. Zoë Mullan, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Global Health, for the benefit of researchers looking to optimise the reach and academic/scientific footprint of their work.

Orations

The six orations were well-received by the delegates, and presented by eminent experts:

• The A S Kanagasabapathy Oration: Early Gestational Diabetes, delivered by Dr. Viswanathan Mohan.
• The Albert Einstein Oration: Developmental Programming of Type 2 Diabetes, delivered by Prof. Allan Arthur Vaag.
• The Oscar Minkowski Oration: Phenotypic Variants of Diabetes in Africa, delivered by Prof. Kaushik Ramaiya.
• The Homi Bhabha Oration: Mechanism of Malnutrition Modulated Diabetes, delivered by Prof. Meredith Hawkins.
• The Rosalyn Yalow Oration: Life Course Evolution of Diabetes in Asian Indians, delivered by Prof. Chittaranjan Yajnik.
• The Delia Houghton Oration: Postnatal Status and Gestational Diabetes, delivered by Prof. Nikhil Tandon.

Notable Speakers & Topics

Other notable speakers and their topics included:

• Prof. K. Sreekumaran Nair, Mayo Clinic Rochester, who spoke on “Insulin Resistance and its Impact on Dementia”.
• Prof. Balamurugan Appakalai, University of Louisville, USA, on “Islet Cell Transplantation- An International Experience”.
• Associate Prof. Dirk Lund Christensen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, on “Foetal Infection and the Risk of Adult Cardiometabolic Disease”.
• Padma Shri Dr. Shashank Joshi, Consultant Endocrinologist at Lilavati Hospital Mumbai, on “Artificial Intelligence and Remission in Diabetes”.
• Prof. Sarah Wild, Edinburgh University, Scotland, on “Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Diabetes in a Rural Region- An International Perspective”.
• Dr. William T. Cefalu, National Institute of Health, USA, on “Heterogeneity of Diabetes”.
• Prof. Alvin C Powers, Vanderbilt University, USA, on “Pancreatic Islet Cell Function and Dysfunction: Different Paths in Different Forms of Diabetes”.
• Prof. Mandeep Bajaj, American Diabetes Association, on “Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Recent Advances”.

Exhibition

The exhibition hall hosted various stalls, including displays from the Distance Education Department and the Prosthetic & Orthotic Unit, CMC Vellore. The stall showcased custom footwear & prostheses in line with the symposium on The Foot in Diabetes.

Quiz Competitions Results

MBBS Quiz

• 1st place: Konig Samuel & Shreya Prakash from Govt Vellore Medical College
• 2nd place: Sakthi K V & Kishan Joghi R from CMC Vellore
• 3rd place: Abisek Arul Johnson & Indhumati Kuberan from CMC Vellore

MD Quiz

• 1st place: John Roy Palathinkal & Hamsavardhini from CMC Vellore
• 2nd place: Hafeezur Rahman V H & Prabakaran from CMC Vellore
• 3rd place: Rizwana & Sivaranjani from CMC Vellore

DM Quiz

• 1st place: Anuj Ban & Archana Rao from KEM Mumbai
• 2nd place: Subhankar Roy from IPGMER & Aaditya Daga from KEM Mumbai
• 3rd place: Jagapathi Babu C H from AIIMS Rishikesh & Nikhil Sanjeev K from AIIMS Raipur

Poster Presentation Results

MBBS Category

• 1st place: Jyothis G Saji from Jubilee Mission Medical College
• 2nd place: Priya Gurajala from Vydegi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre
• 3rd place: Sumith Panayanthatta from CMC Vellore

MD (Original Work)

• 1st place: Soundari Alagesan from Stanley Medical College, Chennai
• 2nd place: Dibasa Adhikari from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences
• 3rd place: Jayalakshmi Sankaravel from Stanley Medical College, Chennai

MD (Case Reports)

• 1st place: Tejaram Rajanala from Aarupadai Veedu Medical College & Hospital
• 2nd place: Bishal Kumar Dukhi from CMC Vellore
• 3rd place: Mithran B R from Madras Medical College, Chennai

DM (Case Reports)

• 1st place: Sayantan Chakraborty from IPGMER
• 2nd place: Varun Kumar V from CMC Vellore
• 3rd place: Afaq Ahmed from Saptagiri Hospital

DM (Case Series)

• 1st place: Bhavishya Desai from Vydegi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre
• 2nd place: Fibi Ninan K from CMC Vellore
• 3rd place: Harini Jayaraman from AJ Institute & Research Centre, Mangalore

DM (Original Work)

• 1st place: Biswajit Payra from IPGMER
• 2nd place: Sherin Varghese from CMC Vellore

PhD Student

• 1st place: Geetika Bajaj from National Agrifood Biotechnology Institute
• 2nd place: Aniket Sen from IIT Mandi
• 3rd place: Kajal Jaswal from Diabetes Awareness and You, Burdwan

PhD Scholar

• 1st place: Shilpa Thakur from IIT Mandi
• 2nd place: Anji Aura from CMC Vellore

Faculty

• 1st place: Tobey Ann Marcus from CMC Vellore
• 2nd place: Padmanaban Venkatesan from CMC Vellore
• 3rd place: Shruthi R from Vydegi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre

Allied Health Sciences

• 1st place: Sheeba Mathew from Government College of Nursing, Thrissur
• 2nd place: Sujitha Elavally from Government College of Nursing, Thrissur
• 3rd place: Anandha Ruby Jacob from CMC Vellore

Oral Presentations Results

Faculty (Oral)

• 1st place: Sangeetha Merrin Varghese from Believer’s Church, Thiruvalla
• 2nd place: Padmanaban Venkatesan from CMC Vellore

DM/MD (Oral)

• 1st place: Afaq Ahmed from Saptagiri Hospital
• 2nd place: Indirapriyadarsini D from Saptagiri Hospital
• 3rd place: C Brilly Swarna from Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College

PhD Students & Scholars (Oral)

• 1st place: Indra N from Believer’s Church, Thiruvalla
• 2nd place: Animish Andhere from VIT
• 3rd place: Neelam Shirsat from BKL Walawalkar Hospital & Research Centre

Valedictory Function

The events concluded with the vote of thanks from Prof. Nihal Thomas, Organising Chairperson, and the announcement of the VEIC 2027 Winter Symposium on Neuroendocrine Tumors by Prof. HS Asha.