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Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE) Amy Zheng has described receiving the 2024 Early Career Award in the ADEA and Abbott Case Study Competition as a deeply motivating and professionally affirming experience.
Her winning case study, Revealing the unexpected: technology’s role in discovering secondary causes of hyperglycaemia, aligned with the competition’s focus on flash glucose monitoring, LibreView, and AGP reports, and offered insights relevant to real-world clinical practice.
“I was incredibly honoured and humbled to receive the award,” Ms Zheng said.
“It was both exciting and validating to have my work recognised by peers in the field. Winning felt like a meaningful acknowledgement of the efforts I’ve put into improving diabetes care, and it motivated me to keep striving for excellence in clinical practice and education.”
She said the case study continues to influence her day-to-day work.
“The case study highlighted practical strategies for supporting self-management, and I’ve since been able to implement and share these strategies more widely across my practice settings,” she said.
“I’ve noticed greater client engagement and confidence, especially in managing complex regimens and understanding their condition.
“The exposure also opened doors to new collaborative projects aimed at improving outcomes for people living with diabetes.”
As part of the award, Ms Zheng received a scholarship and full registration to the Australasian Diabetes Congress (ADC) 2024, an opportunity she described as reinvigorating.
“Winning the award has been a significant milestone in my career as a CDE,” she said.
“Attending the ADC has expanded my professional network and deepened my knowledge of emerging evidence and innovations in diabetes care.
“The experience has reinvigorated my practice and inspired new ideas for patient engagement and education.”
Ms Zheng praised the competition as a platform for reflective practice and peer learning.
“The competition encourages CDEs to reflect critically about their practice and share innovative approaches, which benefits the wider diabetes care community,” she said.
“Even those who don’t win contribute to a growing body of shared knowledge that can spark ideas, discussion, and improvements in care.
“It’s a platform that promotes learning and collaboration beyond individual recognition.”
To those considering entering this year’s competition, she had a clear message.
“It’s a valuable opportunity to showcase the meaningful work we do and to contribute to the broader conversation around improving diabetes care,” she said.
“Don’t underestimate the impact your case study could have, not only on your professional development but also on the lives of people with diabetes and your peers in the field.”
Looking ahead, Ms Zheng plans to continue building on this recognition.
“I plan to continue mentoring future diabetes educators, expand my involvement in research and program development, and seek opportunities to present and publish more widely,” she said.
The 2024 competition also recognised Sabrina Sharp with the Judge’s Choice Award for her case study, Supporting our patient by enhanced technology to achieve safe glucose levels and autonomy in palliative self-care during chemotherapy.
All top 10 case studies are featured in the Abbott FreeStyle Case Study booklet, with the Judge’s Choice and Early Career Award case studies also published in the Australian Diabetes Educator journal.
The 2025 Abbott Case Study Competition is currently open. ADEA members can submit entries via the ADEA website until 11.59 pm on Saturday 18 May.
ADEA manages this competition with financial support from Abbott.
Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE) Amy Zheng has described receiving the 2024 Early Career Award in the ADEA and Abbott Case Study Competition as a deeply motivating and professionally affirming experience.
Her winning case study, Revealing the unexpected: technology’s role in discovering secondary causes of hyperglycaemia, aligned with the competition’s focus on flash glucose monitoring, LibreView, and AGP reports, and offered insights relevant to real-world clinical practice.
“I was incredibly honoured and humbled to receive the award,” Ms Zheng said.
“It was both exciting and validating to have my work recognised by peers in the field. Winning felt like a meaningful acknowledgement of the efforts I’ve put into improving diabetes care, and it motivated me to keep striving for excellence in clinical practice and education.”
She said the case study continues to influence her day-to-day work.
“The case study highlighted practical strategies for supporting self-management, and I’ve since been able to implement and share these strategies more widely across my practice settings,” she said.
“I’ve noticed greater client engagement and confidence, especially in managing complex regimens and understanding their condition.
“The exposure also opened doors to new collaborative projects aimed at improving outcomes for people living with diabetes.”
As part of the award, Ms Zheng received a scholarship and full registration to the Australasian Diabetes Congress (ADC) 2024, an opportunity she described as reinvigorating.
“Winning the award has been a significant milestone in my career as a CDE,” she said.
“Attending the ADC has expanded my professional network and deepened my knowledge of emerging evidence and innovations in diabetes care.
“The experience has reinvigorated my practice and inspired new ideas for patient engagement and education.”
Ms Zheng praised the competition as a platform for reflective practice and peer learning.
“The competition encourages CDEs to reflect critically about their practice and share innovative approaches, which benefits the wider diabetes care community,” she said.
“Even those who don’t win contribute to a growing body of shared knowledge that can spark ideas, discussion, and improvements in care.
“It’s a platform that promotes learning and collaboration beyond individual recognition.”
To those considering entering this year’s competition, she had a clear message.
“It’s a valuable opportunity to showcase the meaningful work we do and to contribute to the broader conversation around improving diabetes care,” she said.
“Don’t underestimate the impact your case study could have, not only on your professional development but also on the lives of people with diabetes and your peers in the field.”
Looking ahead, Ms Zheng plans to continue building on this recognition.
“I plan to continue mentoring future diabetes educators, expand my involvement in research and program development, and seek opportunities to present and publish more widely,” she said.
The 2024 competition also recognised Sabrina Sharp with the Judge’s Choice Award for her case study, Supporting our patient by enhanced technology to achieve safe glucose levels and autonomy in palliative self-care during chemotherapy.
All top 10 case studies are featured in the Abbott FreeStyle Case Study booklet, with the Judge’s Choice and Early Career Award case studies also published in the Australian Diabetes Educator journal.
The 2025 Abbott Case Study Competition is currently open. ADEA members can submit entries via the ADEA website until 11.59 pm on Saturday 18 May.
ADEA manages this competition with financial support from Abbott.
