The Joint QMUL & Barts Health NHS Trust Diabetes Research Group is located within the Centre for Genomics and Child Health in the Blizard Institute and is managed by Dr Gillian Hood and Professor William Alazawi our Clinical Lead. Our group of clinicians, nurses, and allied health professionals work on numerous NIHR portfolio commercial and academic studies in both T1 and T2 Diabetes, diabetes prevention, management, obesity and liver studies.
The Diabetes Research Group is well known as a high recruiting study team in England for diabetes studies on the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) portfolio. This remarkable success is due to the hard-working enthusiasm of our team, our research database resources, and, also, our patient and public involvement and engagement work.
In keeping with the Institute’s strategies, we have developed partnerships with other NHS Trusts, Universities, Community groups, and Charities. We have raised awareness of diabetes and diabetes research through various local events to build collaborations and develop innovative ways of reaching people with diabetes. This includes our Diabetes Research Lay Panel Group.
The Diabetes Research Group has a broad portfolio of studies. We undertake both clinical trials and questionnaire/qualitative research. Our current portfolio is listed below:
This is a register for people with Type 1 Diabetes who can be contacted about future studies. There are approximately 8000 people on the data base.
This is a register for all types of diabetes and a repository for people to be contacted about future studies. There are over 8000 people on this data base. The study is now closed to recruitment.
To mark the success of DARE and ADDRESS-2 databases we held a special engagement event for 120 members in November 2018 at Whitechapel. There were presentations, audience interactive sessions, and a diabetes art exhibition.
This is to establish a resource to facilitate enrolment into future type 1 diabetes studies through the collection of data and blood samples from people with type 1 diabetes within 6 months of diagnosis.
This is a clinical trial aiming to reprogramme the immune system using immunotherapy treatment. This treatment has a potential to stop the progression of T1D in people who are newly diagnosed, within 9 weeks of diagnosis. The study is now closed to recruitment.
This study uses an existing medication, a blood pressure tablet, to see whether it has an additional property of reducing the attack on the immune system.
This study aims to help to understand the relationship between HbA1c and average glucose, in a wide range of people. It involves wearing glucose sensors and regular blood tests for six months.
Studies in collaboration with immunology
This study investigates how the immune system affects type 2 diabetes. The research team are interested in a type of cell (called a CD8 T cell) which seems to increase in numbers as people get older, especially if they have type 2 diabetes. The research aims to characterise the number of aged CD8 T cells in people with diabetes and investigate whether such cells might respond to new treatments.
This aims to understand the link between inflammation and metabolism in people with genetic variants in genes involved in inflammation, working in collaboration with East London Genes.
Studies in collaboration with hepatology (recruiting from hospital clinics)
This affects three-quarters of people with Type 2 Diabetes and is influenced by diet, lifestyle, sleep, genetics, mouth bacteria and the immune system. The study aims to identify patients at risk of liver disease, so that treatment can be targeted at those who need it before the development of serious complications.
This involves a urine test that measures natural steroid hormones, in order to provide an accurate reflection of how the liver is functioning in patients with NAFLD. Ultimately, in the future this test may be an alternative to performing a liver biopsy.
This study is part of NIHR Bio-resources and plans to characterise novel clinical and genetic phenotype: and understand the natural history of NAFLD. This will be focusing on participants who specifically have a diagnosis NAFLD. The aim is to help research into the causes of this condition and understand if there are any indicators or patterns that can be linked to NAFLD severity and treatment response.
This involves 5 practices in Bristol and 5 practices in East London. This will involve a blood test to be taken for people with T2D at their annual review in primary care, to identify any cases of liver disease. If the result of a blood test is high then the patients will be asked to have a FibroScan to assess their liver health, should they wish. The FibroScan will either be conducted in a GP practice or in a hospital clinic.
These studies are very similar, both involve patients that are having planned bariatric surgery, and who invariably have fatty liver disease. The studies aim to learn more about NAFLD and ways of identifying patients at risk of progressive liver disease, so that early treatment can be started.
For further information, please email manager of our group – Dr Gill Hood, at gillian.hood1@nhs.net or ring 0207 882 8610,
GIFTS: Genomic and lifestyle predictors of foetal outcome relevant to diabetes and obesity and their relevance to prevention strategies in South Asian peoples. EU FP7, 3 million Euros, 2012-6. http://www.gifts-project.eu. Co-ordinator Hitman
Dr Gillian HoodDiabetes Research Manager, QMUL/ Barts Health NHS Trust
Melanie PattrickSenior Research Nurse, QMUL/ Barts Health NHS Trust
Caroline SutcliffeResearch Nurse, QMUL/ Barts Health NHS Trust
Noorshad JotiResearch Practitioner, QMUL/ Barts Health NHS Trust
Anne WorthingtonResearch Co-ordinator, QMUL/ Barts Health NHS Trust
Zalak UdeshiResearch Administrator, QMUL/ Barts Health NHS Trust
Professor William AlazawiCentre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, QMUL
Professor Graham A HitmanEmeritus Professor of Molecular Medicine and DiabetesHon Consultant Physician, Barts Health NHS Trust
Professor David LeslieProfessor of Diabetes and Autoimmunity / Centre Lead, Centre for Immunobiology
Professor Paolo PozzilliProfessor of Diabetes and Clinical Research
Dr Sarah FinerHonorary Consultant in Diabetes. Clinical Reader in Diabetes
Dr Karl MetcalfeConsultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology. Barts Health Diabetes Network Lead. Barts Health NHS Trust
Dr Tahseen ChowdhuryConsultant in Diabetes. Bart’s Health NHS Trust
Ms Anne ClaydonNurse Consultant in Diabetes. Barts Health NHS Trust
Dr Philippa HansonConsultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology. Barts Health NHS Trust
Dr Bobby HudaConsultant in Diabetes and Metabolic Medicine. Bart’s Health NHS Trust
QMUL/Barts Health NHS Trust Diabetes Research GroupRoom 3.02, Abernethy Building 3rd Floor,QMUL Blizard4 Newark StE1 2ATTel: 02078828610Email: gillian.hood1@nhs.net