The Most Eclectic Writer

in Diabetes

Dr. Deroze was diagnosed with diabetes a few months after earning her PhD in English Literature from Pennsylvania State University. The diagnosis instantly expanded her writing in women's health and literature to include diabetes, health equity, and disability studies.

Since starting a blog in 2011 from her hospital bed recovering from DKA (diabetes ketoacidosis), she has written across several genres, earning the title, "The Most Eclectic Writer in Diabetes."

Selected Diabetes-related Publications

While highlighted below are some of her diabetes publications, Dr. Deroze's additional scholarship covers American Literature and Film, Black Maternal Health, and Cultural Relations.

Children's Book

  • Deroze, Phyllisa, and Jalanah Deroze. Diabetes Helpers, 2023.

Short Fiction

  • Deroze, Phyllisa. “The Daily News Blues.” Please See Me Literary Journal, Issue 7, April 2021.

Drama

  • Deroze, Phyllisa, Beyond The Vial, 2026.

Scholarly Book Chapter

  • Deroze, Phyllisa. “Laughing to Keep from Dying: Black Americans with Diabetes in Sitcoms and Comedies.” (Un)doing Diabetes: Representation, Disability, Culture, edited by Kelly K. Wissman and others, Palgrave Macmillan, 2021, pp. 107–121.

Blogs
Journal Essays and Articles

  • Deroze, Phyllisa. “A Review of Diabetes: A History of Race & Disease.” SYNAPSIS: A Health Humanities Journal, 13 Dec. 2020.

  • Deroze, Phyllisa. “From Denial to Acceptance: Black-ish Portrays a Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Journey.” SYNAPSIS: A Health Humanities Journal, 4 Oct. 2019.

  • Kalyani, Rita R., et al. “Prioritizing Patient Experiences in the Management of Diabetes and Its Complications: An Endocrine Society Position Statement.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 109, no. 5, 2024, pp. 1155–1178. Deroze is a coauthor.

  • Speight, Jane, et al. “Bringing an End to Diabetes Stigma and Discrimination: An International Consensus Statement on Evidence and Recommendations.” The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, vol. 12, no. 1, 2024, pp. 61–82. Deroze is a coauthor.

  • Litchman, Michelle L., et al. “In-Person and Technology-Mediated Peer Support in Diabetes Care: A Systematic Review of Reviews and Gap Analysis.” The Diabetes Educator, vol. 46, no. 3, 2020, pp. 230–241. Deroze is a coauthor.

Magazine Articles

  • Deroze, Phyllisa, “Breaking My Silence about How Insulin Prices Have Impacted My Life.” Type2Diabetes.com, 2018

  • Deroze, Phyllisa. “3 Ways Taking an SGLT2 Inhibitor Has Changed How I Manage Diabetes.” Type2Diabetes.com, 2018

  • Deroze, Phyllisa. “Managing Diabetes Burnout with Exercise: How Running 5ks Help Me Cope.” Type2Diabetes.com, 2017

Poetry

  • Deroze, Phyllisa, Chained During Childbirth, 2026 forthcoming in Survive and Thrive: A Journal for Medical Humanities and Narrative as Medicine.

  • Deroze, Phyllisa, We Had A Good Thing, 2018 (Spoken Word Poem)