Our research projects

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. 

Some people develop type 1 diabetes very quickly, but in others, the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes progresses slowly. Professor Kathleen Gillespie and her PhD student will look for genetic differences between these groups of people to find out why this is. In the future, this could lead to life-changing treatments to delay or prevent type 1 diabetes.

Having diabetes can lead to damaged blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye, caused by high blood sugar levels. This can lead to vision problems and sight loss. Dr Judith Lechner wants to find out if a protective protein can be used to repair and reduce this damage, and potentially be used as a new treatment option in the future.

Women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of stillbirth and premature birth. Dr Sharon Mackin and her team will analyse national data in Scotland to identify the causes and risk factors for these outcomes. This could lead to better care and decision-making around delivery timing, so that more mothers with diabetes experience a healthy pregnancy and give birth to healthy babies.

Weight loss can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes but losing weight can be difficult. Professor Jebb aims to create a new NHS support service for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and living with overweight or obesity, so they can try out different weight loss programmes and find the one that’s right for them. This could make all the difference in giving more people the chance to go into remission.

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.

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. 

Researchers are building AI-powered tools that can identify people most at risk of diabetes complications before they develop. Dr Rebecca Thomas is exploring how people with diabetes feel towards AI being used in this way, and receiving results about their future complications risk. This will inform recommendations on how to communicate AI-driven risk predictions in a way that builds trust and understanding, supporting both physical health and emotional well-being.

Sometimes insulin can cause cells to multiply rather than bringing down blood sugar levels. This can increase the risk of some cancers in people with diabetes. Prof Nia Bryant wants to better understand how and why insulin can have this effect. With her PhD student, she will pinpoint the specific areas on cells that causes insulin to lower blood sugars and not to tell cells to multiply. In the future, this could help scientists develop new treatments for people with diabetes that aren’t linked with an increased risk of cancer.