Building a clinical trials network for the therapies of tomorrow

For people who might not have met you before, can you tell us a little about yourself, your background, and how you got to where you are today? 

I started with a background in biomedical sciences before joining the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), where I spent seven years helping to develop and deliver major health research programmes, including the NIHR Mental Health Research Initiative. Much of my work focused on turning ambitious ideas into practical programmes and building partnerships across researchers, funders, government and the NHS. 

In 2025, the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge partnered with NIHR to establish the UK Type 1 Diabetes Cell Therapy Clinical Trials Network (CTN), and I was seconded to Diabetes UK to lead its development. Today, I have the privilege of working with an amazing community across the UK who all share one common goal: making cell therapies a reality for people living with type 1 diabetes. It’s really a role that combines strategic thinking, building relationships and a healthy amount of problem solving, which is exactly what I enjoy! 

There’s been a lot of excitement around beta cell therapies in recent years. Could you give us a snapshot of where the field is today and why this feels like such an important moment? 

Several years ago, the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge announced its £30 million investment in beta cell therapy research, but what feels different today is that we’re starting to see therapies move out of the laboratory and into clinical development. 

We’re seeing companies and academic groups advance stem cell derived beta cell therapies into the clinic, with some early studies showing that people with type 1 diabetes have stopped insulin therapy entirely after receiving these cells. That’s an exciting milestone and a real sign of how far the field has progressed. 

And there’s much more to come. Diabetes UK’s latest pipeline analysis identified 47 beta cell therapies in development globally, with almost two-thirds still at the pre-clinical stage. While there are still challenges to overcome, from protecting cells from immune attack to manufacturing them at scale, we’re likely to see many more therapies entering clinical trials over the coming years. 

As more potential therapies move towards clinical trials, what does the current clinical trial landscape look like in the UK? 

The UK has a huge amount going for it, and we’re ambitious about making it the best place in the world to do type 1 diabetes research. We have world-leading diabetes researchers, internationally recognised clinical centres, and a highly engaged type 1 diabetes community. Through our partnership with the NIHR, we’re also able to build on one of the world’s most established clinical research infrastructures, including the expertise, facilities and delivery support needed to run complex studies. 

By bringing these strengths together, we can make it easier for trial sponsors to access the expertise they need, enable more sites to participate in cutting-edge cell therapy studies, and ultimately give more people with type 1 diabetes the opportunity to take part in clinical trials. 

A lot of people will have seen announcements about the Clinical Trials Network but probably won’t realise how much work happens behind the scenes. What has the last year looked like for you? 

Busy! 

The last year has been a fascinating mix of strategy, consultation and collaboration. We’ve worked with researchers, clinicians, infrastructure leaders, industry partners and people living with type 1 diabetes to understand what the UK needs to support the next generation of beta cell therapy trials. 

We’ve analysed the global therapy pipeline, mapped UK capabilities, established a national Task and Finish Group, and designed a model that can genuinely support the next generation of beta cell therapy trials. We’ve also worked closely with NIHR colleagues and infrastructure network leads to ensure the CTN complements existing infrastructure rather than creating something new in isolation. 

The development of the CTN has involved researchers, clinicians, industry partners and people living with type 1 diabetes. Why has bringing all those different perspectives together been so important? 

Because everyone sees the challenge through a different lens. Researchers understand the science, clinicians understand what it takes to deliver trials in practice, and people living with type 1 diabetes bring invaluable insight into what matters most to potential trial participants. 

The success of the CTN ultimately depends on collective ownership across the UK type 1 diabetes community, and we’ve been incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm, expertise and commitment shown by all of those groups from the outset. 

Was there a particular moment when you realised the Clinical Trials Network was starting to become a reality? 

I think the launch of the funding call was probably the moment it felt most real. 

Up until then, much of our work had focused on strategic and operational planning, understanding the future therapy pipeline, designing the CTN, and building consensus across the community about what would be needed to support the next generation of beta cell therapy trials. 

We now have a clear framework for establishing the Coordinating Centre and appointing a Clinical Director. I think we’ll see a really clear shift from planning to delivery once that role is in place, and I’m looking forward to working closely with them as we move into this next phase. 

The CTN is now moving into its next phase. What are you most excited about over the next few years? 

Over the last year, we’ve moved the CTN from a charity ambition to a nationally connected programme. I’m excited to see it move from design into delivery. 

I’d love to see the first CTN-supported clinical trial open in the UK and know that the foundations we’ve been building are helping bring promising new therapies closer to people living with type 1 diabetes. 

Ultimately, what do you hope the Clinical Trials Network could mean for people living with type 1 diabetes? 

My hope is that the Clinical Trials Network creates a platform through which people living with type 1 diabetes across the UK can access a greater number of innovative clinical trials, more quickly and more equitably, regardless of where they live.  

Cell therapies have the potential to transform how type 1 diabetes is treated. Instead of relying on insulin injections or pumps to manage blood sugar, they could enable people to make their own insulin again. Just imagine what that could mean: moving from multiple daily insulin injections, constant blood sugar monitoring and the relentless highs and lows of managing type 1 diabetes, to a future where your body can naturally regulate blood sugar again, without the need for round the clock vigilance and intervention. 

By making the UK a leading destination for beta cell therapy trials and helping attract investment into the field, we can create a more efficient pathway from scientific discovery to patient benefit. Ultimately, the CTN is about ensuring life-changing therapies reach people faster and helping move us closer to the shared ambition of a cure for type 1 diabetes.