I have been working with patients with diabetes, researching diabetes and teaching diabetes for nearly 20 years now. Imagine what it feels like to be told that you have Type 1 diabetes, a diagnosis that currently means that you will need insulin injections every day for the rest of your life. If that seems scary, now imagine that it is not you, but your 4 -year-old daughter that has just been diagnosed and you are going to be responsible for her daily insulin injections and for managing her disease. Being diagnosed with a chronic disease, or having a child diagnosed with a chronic disease, can be incredibly challenging. I teach the science behind the new therapies, the state-of-the-art approaches being developed and utilised in our laboratories and clinics and the lifestyle techniques that can improve our patients lives. But I also want all our students to understand that every patient is different and unique and some struggle with their disease. Understanding our patients’ (and their parents) journey lies at the heart of all of my teaching.

As part of the Diabetes Research Group, my research interests are focused on improving our understanding of the disease mechanisms in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and on the development of novel therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of life of patients with these conditions. Our Type 1 diabetes research focuses on improving current islet transplant protocols and developing novel sources of insulin-producing cells for cell replacement therapy. Our Type 2 diabetes research focuses on new approaches to working with obese and overweight individuals to help them balance their metabolism and prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Research Group (DRG) made a programme for BBC Inside Out - South East about developing a new treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes involving the transplantation of isolated insulin-producing beta cells. This programme was broadcast on 27 February 2017.

Current Research Projects

• Islet transplantation therapy in Type 1 Diabetes (as part of the UK Islet Transplant Consortium)
• Targeting beta cell hypoxia in islet transplantation and pancreatic cancer
• Biomimetic 3-dimensional culture of insulin-producing cell clusters
• Combating obesity through improved patient education and tailored exercise programs
• Use of continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) technology in obese, overweight and at- risk individuals to aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes
• Understanding non-compliance in young Type 1 Diabetes patients
• Creation and Validation of Clinically Reflective Human Models of Pancreatic Islets

COREs and Research and Enterprise Groups

• STRAND
• BCRMD