Research Round-Up | Diabetes UK

Find out the latest from the world of diabetes research – news, new projects, updates and blogs from researchers.

Our research's impact

Have a look at the breakthroughts that have been made, and the impact we've had, over the last 80 years.

Latest news

Our research finds a better way to spot newborns at risk of type 1 diabetes

07 August 2020

Our scientists have developed an enhanced prediction tool to find children at high risk of type 1 diabetes years before they’re diagnosed.

Building on genetic risk

In January 2019, our research fellow Dr Richard Oram published his development of an improved ‘risk calculator’.

New research unlocks how an immunotherapy works and who could benefit from it

07 August 2020

Our scientists have discovered a marker in the immune system that can be used to predict which people with type 1 diabetes will benefit from an immunotherapy drug, unlocking its use to help stop the condition in its tracks.

Our researcher Professor Lucy Walker studied blood samples from people with type 1 diabetes who had taken part in a trial of an

ADA research news: more people will get the quality of care they need to manage their diabetes

24 July 2020

Getting the right care, at the right time, is vital to helping people avoid the complications of diabetes and live long, healthy lives.

RELIEF from DKA with flash glucose monitoring

Flash glucose monitors are a way of measuring your blood sugar levels without

ADA research news: fewer people will get type 2 and gestational diabetes

17 July 2020

We know that the best way to reduce your risk of type 2 or gestational diabetes is to eat well and move more.

22 years of type 2 prevention

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was a major U.S. study that changed the way we approach type 2 diabetes prevention worldwide.

ADA research news: helping people with diabetes live better and more confident lives

10 July 2020

This year's American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions were packed with research updates on interventions and insights to help people live well with their diabetes, and have the confidence to manage it.

Digging into diabetes distress

Diabetes doesn’t just affect someone physically. The relentless need to manage your condition and deal with everything diabetes throws at you affects mental health as well.

Over £400,000 pledged towards research into coronavirus and diabetes

07 September 2020

Updated 7 September: Following our rapid research funding call in April, we are delighted to announce, in partnership with JDRF, Moorfields Eye Charity and Fight for Sight, a combined commitment of £400,198 to support five new research projects.

The coronavirus pandemic represents an unprecedented challenge to all of us.

ADA research news – towards treatments that cure or prevent diabetes

26 June 2020

Last week saw the 80th American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions draw to a close.

12,500 attendees came together virtually to share the very latest on better treatments, advances in care and support for people living with diabetes, and new insights into the complexity and causes of all forms of the condi

New study finds protein responsible for changes to the pancreas in type 1 diabetes

17 June 2020

A new study from the University of Birmingham reveals that lower levels of a protein that binds to vitamin D might be responsible for changes to the often overlooked alpha cells in the pancreas, and could help us learn more about the development of type 1 diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin to prompt the cells of the body to absorb sugar from the blood are destroyed by the body’s own immune system.

Help shape future research into pregnancy and diabetes

29 May 2020

After gathering the views of the public last year, researchers are once again calling on women, their families and healthcare professionals to help make sure the future of research into diabetes and pregnancy meets their needs.

Around 38,000 women who give birth in the UK each year have some form of diabetes. While many women have healthy babies, we know that diabetes can increase the risk of complications for the mother and baby – both during pregnancy and later in life.

New deal allows free publishing of Open Access papers in Diabetic Medicine

05 May 2020

A new deal between scientific publisher Wiley and digital education group Jisc will allow for diabetes researchers at UK universities to publish their work in Open Access for free in Diabetic Medicine

At Diabetes UK, research is a key part of our mission. We want to create a world where diabetes can do no harm, which is only possible if we work with scientists and fund their work to help us understand more about the condition in all its forms.