Our research projects

Diabetes stigma is a serious problem and can have serious effects on people with diabetes’ physical and mental health. Professor Nick Oliver will look at the causes of type 1 diabetes stigma, explore how many people in the UK experience it and the impact it can have. Understanding the roots of type 1 diabetes stigma and how it evolves over time, could help to develop novel ways to manage or tackle it.

Type 1 diabetes distress is very common, and can make living with the condition incredibly difficult. But we currently don’t have an effective treatment for it in the UK. Prof Jackie Sturt wants to develop and test a programme, called D-stress, designed to prevent, detect and manage diabetes distress. This vital research could help more people with type 1 diabetes to get the emotional support they need to live more happily with the condition.

It’s not always easy to diagnose which type of diabetes a person has. This is because the symptoms and test results can overlap, particularly in people from some ethnic groups. In this project, Dr Shields will improve calculators used to get the diagnosis right in many more people with diabetes. 

Immunotherapies work by retraining the immune system, and scientists hope they could stop or prevent the immune attack behind Type 1 diabetes. They’re testing different immunotherapies right now, but we need to speed up progress. Professor Colin Dayan will expand a network of immunotherapy research teams and improve the clinical trials process to help make these treatments available for people with Type 1 as soon as possible. 

Bodyweight is one of many factors that influences risk of type 2 diabetes. But people with similar bodyweights can have different risks, so alone it doesn’t give us the full picture. Dr Hanieh Yaghootkar is looking at how genes influence where the body stores fat, and how different fat patterns may increase or decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes and its complications. Understanding this could help us to better predict who’s most at risk and lead to more effective, personalised care for people with or at risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Type 2 diabetes can come with an increased risk of cardiovascular problems affecting the heart and blood vessels. Professor Stephen Wheatcroft wants to test ‘recipes’ for new molecules that can protect against these issues, and also treat type 2 diabetes. This could help researchers to develop new treatments for type 2 diabetes that also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In type 2 diabetes the beta cells in the pancreas struggle to release insulin in the usual way. Professor Herbert’s made a discovery about some proteins that are important in this process. He’s now going to take this information forward and learn more about how these proteins stick to other molecules and work to release insulin. 

Type 2 diabetes is linked to a higher risk of dementia. Dr Fiona McLean wants to investigate whether a build-up of iron in the brain caused by high blood sugar levels could be responsible. By untangling these links, Dr McLean’s research could help scientists to develop urgently needed new treatments that can improve the lives of people with diabetes and reduce the risk of the devastating effects of dementia.

Research shows that having too much fat inside the pancreas is one factor that can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. Dr Al-Mrabeh is exploring how excess fat affects different cell types in the pancreas. This could shed light on new treatments that target toxic fats and help people with type 2 diabetes go into remission - or prevent or delay type 2 in people at risk. 

Pregnant women with early-onset type 2 diabetes are 3-4 times more likely to have stillbirth and newborn death than women without diabetes. Currently, there are limited self-management programmes available to support people with early-onset type 2 diabetes - and even less for pregnant women with the condition. Professor Meek wants to design a new self-management programme for this group to provide vital support before, during, and after pregnancy to protect the health of mothers and their babies.