Dr. Piero P. Foa, hailed as one of Wayne State University \'s most influential teachers and a trailblazer in the field of diabetes research, died Saturday of natural causes at his home in West Bloomfield . He was 94. Dr. Foa is credited with presenting the first convincing evidence that glucose stimulates the secretion of insulin and that hypoglycemia stimulates the secretion of a second pancreatic hormone called glucagon. His discovery helped promote the fight against diabetes, a disease that, according to the American Diabetes Association, affects 20.8 million people in the United States , or 7% of the population. A professor emeritus in the Department of Physiology, Dr. Foa\'s long and distinguished association with the School of Medicine began in 1962 when he came to Detroit as chairman of the Department of Research at Sinai Hospital and professor of physiology at Wayne State \'s School of Medicine . Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile, Southfield . Memorial contributions may be made to Wayne State University Medical School , Piero P. Foa Annual Lecture, 101 E. Alexandrine, Detroit , 48201.