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. Our group of clinicians, nurses and allied health professionals work on a number of NIHR portfolio commercial and academic studies in both T1 and T2 Diabetes, and also in diabetes prevention.
The Diabetes Research Group is the highest recruiting study team in England for diabetes studies on the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) portfolio18/19. This remarkable success is due to the hard-working enthusiasm of our team, our research database resources, and also our research patient and public involvement and engagement work.
Our group maintains 2 important databases of people who have consented to be contacted again about research. These are:
To mark the success of DARE and ADDRESS-2 databases our group will be holding a special engagement event for 120 members on 13th November in the Clark-Kennedy Lecture Hall. There will be presentations, audience interactive sessions, and a diabetes art exhibition. Contact the team for more information: diabetesresearch@bartshealth.nhs.uk.
Our group undertakes a wide range of patient, public and involvement work, and 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 a number of local events, and work with theatre groups, 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:
For further information, please contact: Victoria Berryman, Research Nurse, on 02078822592 or email victoria.berryman@bartshealth.nhs.uk or Melanie Pattrick, Senior Research Nurse, melanie.pattrick@bartshealth.nhs.uk.
This is an anonymous, questionnaire-based study. The aims are to identify areas of diabetes primary health care that are going well or need improving, improve the knowledge of participants and help support patients in the self-management of their condition. This study will be running until the 30th November 2019, with a target recruitment figure of 14000, in both NE and NW London Sites and the Home Counties.
The research team are involved in new ways of delivering better care to young adults living with diabetes, as medical care in hospital clinics with 1-to-1 appointments may not always meet their needs. Recent research has suggested that ‘group’ clinics may be a better way to support young people with long-term health problems, and may be a better way to meet their needs. The diabetes research team at Mile End and Whitechapel are working with people who receive usual care (1-to-1 appointments). The team at Newham are working with participants in group clinics, and group clinics. The study will be running until the 30th November 2019. Participants receiving usual care will be seen by a researcher at the beginning of the study and then one year later.
As part of the Type 1 Diabetes UK Immunotherapy Consortium, we have the exciting opportunity to be one of 6 sites here in the UK recruiting to the EXALT study. This study is investigating a new “therapeutic vaccine” designed to stop the immune system from attacking cells that produce insulin, which may help preserve insulin production in people with recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes. The main purpose of this study is to assess the safety of three different doses of this new investigational treatment in people who have been recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. For this study we are looking for people 18-30 years of age, who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the last 6 months. Participation will last approximately 24 weeks.For further information, please contact: Melanie Pattrick, on 020 7882 8610 or email melanie.pattrick@bartshealth.nhs.uk
Major research grants:
MBBS Undergraduate curriculum: core lectures, problem-based learning, clinical teaching
MSc Diabetes and Endocrinology
BSc Global Health
MSc Global Public Health and Policy