Our research projects

Some people with diabetes go on to develop problems with the nerves in their feet. This is known as peripheral neuropathy and can affect safe driving. Professor Marple-Horvat is investigating if a driving stimulator and feedback system can help people with peripheral neuropathy get back to driving safely again, and keep their independence.

Insulin-making beta cells in people with type 2 diabetes can stop working properly due to toxic molecules. Dr Catherine Arden wants to explore what causes this by measuring what happens when sugar and fat are added to beta cells. Understanding more about this process will help researchers to develop new treatments that can prevent damage to beta cells. This could slow down the progression of type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of complications for people living with type 2 diabetes. 

Many people who use metformin to manage their type 2 diabetes, often need to start on a second medication to control blood sugar levels. Dr Beall wants to better understand the effect of metformin in the brain and why this may cause some people with type 2 to stop responding to it over time. He’ll also shed new light on if and how metformin may have anti-inflammatory effects in the brain. In the future this could help us to understand who is more likely to need an add on treatment and open-up new ways to keep the brain healthy in people with diabetes. 

When the immune system attacks the pancreas in type 1 diabetes, the body responds with inflammation which can damage insulin-producing beta cells. Transplants of pancreas cells, called islet transplants, can be used to treat some people with type 1 diabetes, but they don’t always work. Dr Chloe Rackham wants to understand how shape-shifting stem cells can protect transplanted cells from damage caused by inflammation. This could help to make islet transplants more successful in the future and could open up ways to delay or prevent type 1 diabetes. 

Diabetic foot ulcers are a common complication of all types of diabetes. Professor Reeves has found that a new type of ‘smart’ shoe insole technology, which raises an alarm when levels of pressure on the feet are too high, can reduce the risk of foot ulcers. To build more evidence on the technology’s effectiveness he will compare different types of smart insoles to find which is best at reducing high pressure. This research could help people with diabetes get the best possible care to protect their foot health.

Severe insulin resistance is a key feature of a rare form of diabetes, caused by genetic changes which affects the structure of the insulin receptor. Dr Gemma Brierley will explore whether antibodies can be redesigned to improve the function of the insulin receptor. This research could improve our understanding of how a rare form of diabetes develops and and lead to life-saving new treatments. 

Diabetes can cause many complications including foot ulcers. These can lead to a significantly higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and a shortened lifespan. Professor Khunti and his team are researching the best way to reduce these so that people with diabetes and foot ulcers can have healthier and longer lives. 

Scientists have found a protein, called LRG1, plays a role in the early stages of eye damage in people with diabetes. Dr Giulia De Rossi wants to know how exactly this protein causes problems and if their new treatment that blocks it could help prevent eye damage. This could take us closer to better treatments that could be given earlier to protect the sight of people with diabetes. 

Some people with type 2 diabetes might have differences in how their brains get messages about sweet flavours. Dr Sally Eldeghaidy wants to find out more about why this is, by looking for signals in brain scans. Her project could lead to a better understanding about how sweet things taste to people with type 2, and make it easier for them to choose healthier food and increase their chance of putting their type 2 diabetes into remission.

Transplants of insulin-producing beta cells from donors into people with type 1 diabetes, called ‘islet transplants’, have been shown to temporarily remove the need for insulin injections in many cases. However, there aren’t enough beta cells available for everyone who needs a transplant. Dr Elisa De Franco wants to find the genes that control the development of beta cells, by studying babies born with neonatal diabetes, to see if these genes could be used to make beta cells in the lab.