Our research projects

Proteins are key to keeping insulin-making beta cells healthy. But in type 2 diabetes, something goes wrong with the process where beta cells make new proteins. Dr Daniela Nasteska will study this in detail to understand what goes wrong and how this leads to type 2 diabetes. This could pave the way to new treatments for type 2 diabetes and unlock better ways to grow beta cells in the lab, ready for transplant. 

Some people with type 1 diabetes have low levels of magnesium in their blood, which can increase their risk of blood clots and heart attacks and strokes. Dr Alan Stewart wants to dig deeper into how magnesium could influence clotting and diabetes complications, and find out if magnesium supplements could offer new and simple way to drive down risks and save lives. 

People with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of depression. And people with depression have a higher risk of type 2. But there’s lots we don’t understand about how exactly the two conditions are connected. Dr Tyrrell wants to unravel more about the complicated relationship between the conditions and the impact of living with both type 2 and depression on health. This could lead to better ways to treat people with both conditions.

Using steroids can increase the risk of developing a specific type of diabetes called steroid diabetes. It can also lead to higher blood sugar levels in people with other types of diabetes. Dr Katharine Lazarus will explore if a type 2 diabetes medication, called semaglutide, could help to lower this risk and lower blood sugar levels. This study could pave the way for a safer steroid use for people with or at risk of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-making beta cells. Dr Matthew Johnson and his team will study a rare type of diabetes that could help us better understand why the immune system turns on beta cells, and how this process may differ between people. This could pave the way towards new treatments that protect the pancreas from harm in people with or at risk of type 1 diabetes.

Tiny variations in our genes can affect insulin receptors, which sit on the surface of our cells and allow insulin to enter. Problems with insulin receptors affect how our body responds to insulin and can cause severe insulin resistance. Professor Semple and his student want to find out how thousands of different genetic variations affect how the insulin receptor works, and which variations contribute to insulin resistance. They hope this will make it easier to diagnose people with rare types of diabetes and help them learn more about how insulin works in all types of diabetes, paving the way to new insulins or ways of making insulin work better. 

Women who’ve had gestational diabetes have a 10-fold higher risk of later developing type 2 diabetes. Dr Nerys Astbury and her PhD student will develop a ‘calculator’ to predict which women have the highest risk. They’ll then create a new, tailored treatment that aims to help women reduce their risk. This research could help to prevent more cases of type 2 in women who’ve had gestational diabetes, giving women healthier futures.

Bone health and blood sugar levels are closely linked, with each affecting the other. Dr Karla Suchacki will investigate if weak bones make it harder for the body to manage blood sugar levels by studying how rats with osteoporosis process glucose (sugar). This could help explain how weak bones increase type 2 diabetes risk and lead to better tools to predict and prevent type 2 for people with bone conditions.  

Diabetic foot ulcers are a common complication of all types of diabetes. Ill-fitting footwear rubbing against the foot can increase the risk of a foot ulcer developing. Dr Petra Jones wants to test the existing guidelines for good fitting footwear for people living with diabetes, to make sure they're getting the best possible advice to protect their foot health.

We know that a person’s genetic makeup is important in type 2 diabetes but we don’t know exactly how they’re linked. Dr Jennings is going to study genes related to beta cell and pancreas development and the 3D switches that control them. This will give us a better understanding of why type 2 diabetes develops, which could lead to new therapies to prevent and treat it.