William H. Polonsky

Dr. Polonsky is President and Co-Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, the world's first organization wholly dedicated to studying and addressing the unmet psychological needs of people with diabetes. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor in Medicine at the University of California San Diego. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from Yale University and has served as Senior Psychologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, faculty member at Harvard Medical School and Chairman of the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators.  

A licensed clinical psychologist, certified diabetes care and educational specialist (CDCES), and highly-cited research scientist with more than 150 peer-reviewed publications in the field of behavioral diabetes, Dr. Polonsky is a distinguished national and international lecturer on behavioral diabetes issues. He has served on the editorial boards of Diabetes Care, Diabetes Forecast, Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes Self-Management and Diabetes Health and received the American Diabetes Association’s 2020 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award and the American Diabetes Association’s 2014 Richard R. Rubin Award for distinguished contributions to behavioral medicine and psychology.

His most recent research projects have focused on quality of life in diabetes, diabetes-related distress, hypoglycemic fear, glucose monitoring behavior and attitudes in people living with diabetes, group-based behavior change programs, the influence of continuous glucose monitoring on quality of life, and the development of new methods for enhancing diabetes education. In addition, he continues to maintain a small clinical practice where he works with his patients to help alleviate the stresses, strains and aggravations of living with diabetes.  

Of note, he has authored several books for the lay audience (e.g., Diabetes Burnout: What to Do When You Can’t Take it Anymore) and co-edited several others for health care professionals (e.g., A CORE Curriculum for Diabetes Education).