The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge took centre stage at this year’s Diabetes UK Professional Conference, uniting researchers and people affected by type 1 diabetes to share their expertise and celebrate progress with the wider diabetes community.
March 14, 2025
The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge took centre stage at this year’s Diabetes UK Professional Conference, uniting researchers and people affected by type 1 diabetes to share their expertise and celebrate progress with the wider diabetes community.
The main Grand Challenge session was a powerful showcase of our ever-growing community, featuring 13 new projects we’ve funded in the last year.
The session began with updates from researchers working to build better beta cells in the lab from stem cells, protect new cells during and after transplantation, and regrow beta cells in people with type 1 diabetes.
Later on in the conference, we heard more about islet transplantation, using cells from donor pancreases. Prof Shareen Forbes discussed the potential of microparticle drug delivery to protect transplanted islets and improve their survival. And we were joined by Dr Vicky Salem who highlighted innovations in biomaterials that could transform islet transplantation.
Our immune insights project leads shared exciting progress on targeting the type 1 immune system attack in safer and more effective ways. Dr James Pearson revealed that some immune cells follow a daily rhythm, and that’s why his project is testing if immunotherapies timed to these cycles will improve their effectiveness.
We also welcomed Profs Michael Weiss, Matthew Webber and Zhiqiang Cao, who discussed their eye-opening ideas to develop novel insulins that could act more quickly and precisely, ultimately reducing the burden of type 1 diabetes management.
Picture of Profs Michael Weiss, Matthew Webber accepting their awards; credit: © Julie Broadfoot
You can find more details about each project presented at DUKPC on our funded projects page.
A dedicated session at DUKPC highlighted how the quality and impact of Grand Challenge research is being enhanced by meaningfully involving people with lived experience of type 1.
Heather Robinson, a Together Type 1 young leader, shared striking statistics on the difficulties of transitioning from paediatric to adult diabetes care, underscoring the need for greater involvement from those directly affected.
Dr James Pearson echoed this, sharing how the challenge of recruiting young adults with type 1 for research led him to involve them more actively through the Cardiff Diabetes Innovation Committee. Committee members reflected on how this engagement deepened their understanding of type 1 diabetes and ensured research truly benefits those who need it most.
Picture of Dr James Pearson and Lilly from the Cardiff Diabetes Innovation Committe; credit: © Philippa Gedge Photography
Recognising the importance of lived experience in research, Professor Sean Dinneen spoke about working with young adults with type 1 to identify gaps in care and improve treatments, while Dr O’Donnell showcased his project co-developing user-led technology that prioritises real-life experiences and emotional well-being.
Amelia Burke, a glass artist from Wales and mum of Ruby who lives with type 1, emphasised that involvement must be accessible and approachable. Her interactions with Grand Challenge researchers inspired her to use artistic methods to represent her daughter’s experience and raise awareness about beta cell therapies.
Heather shared her experience at the conference with us:
“Getting to experience DUKPC from multiple perspectives was such a unique and unforgettable opportunity. From interviewing researchers, speaking on a panel, meeting other Young Leaders from the Together Type 1 program and presenting in the Grand Challenge Patient and Public Involvement session, it was a jam-packed few days! Being able to watch the involvement of experts by experience increase over the past few years has been brilliant, and with the collaboration of Steve Morgan Foundation, Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D has only developed this. Speaking with researchers and experts by experience brought such a broad range of viewpoints and I’m so excited for the future of patient-led diabetes research and healthcare.”
Picture of Heather with Dr Craig Beall at DUKPC
For research to truly make an impact, scientific breakthroughs must be translated into real-world solutions. And that’s exactly what we’re aiming to achieve through the Grand Challenge— accelerating great ideas to change the lives of those affected by type 1 diabetes. As part of this, we hosted a ‘Top Tips on Commercialisation’ session, bringing together experts in research funding, policy, and entrepreneurship to share practical advice on turning research into real-world impact. This is just the beginning —throughout this year we’ll continue to support our community in in moving innovations from the lab into people’s lives.
Dr Andy Chapman, CEO and Co-Founder of Carbometrics says:
“Thank you to Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge for inviting me to speak at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference 2025 in Glasgow. It was a privilege to join such an esteemed panel to discuss the challenges and future of commercialisation in diabetes technology, and connect with fellow innovators in this space.”
Dr Bethany Cragoe, Charity Business Manager of LifeArc, says:
“Charities are crucial in getting research to patients by leveraging the expertise of many stakeholders including patients, scientists, clinicians, and industry partners. Technology transfer is key in this process, and early engagement with technology transfer offices helps develop effective intellectual property strategies and potential routes to patient benefit.
“Researchers should understand the translational pathway and plan early to ensure their work benefits patients. Building strong networks with industry and funders is key to success in this journey. Organisations and initiatives such as Knowledge Exchange UK, Innovate UK and Association of Technology Transfer Professionals can support this. All these elements must come together to ensure that the funded research outputs are able to realise their maximum potential for patient benefit.”
Picture of Dr Bethany Cragoe speaking at the ‘Top Tips on Commercialisation’ credit: © Philippa Gedge Photography
Catch up our Beta Cell Therapy and Root Causes Symposium last November.
The Grand Challenge community shared their plans and progresses at the previous DUKPC.
Stay up to date with news and views from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge and beyond.
