Imagine a world where diabetes no longer dictates the lives of millions. That's the bold vision driving our relentless pursuit of groundbreaking research. In 2025, we invested nearly £3 million into cutting-edge diabetes research, pushing boundaries to transform lives. Thanks to your unwavering support, we're funding an impressive 112 research projects, with 16 exciting new initiatives launched this year alone.
Your generosity is the fuel that powers our mission. Every year, it enables us to back exceptional scientists and innovative ideas with the potential to revolutionize diabetes care. But here's where it gets controversial: while we celebrate progress, we’re acutely aware of the gaps in research that disproportionately affect certain communities. In 2025, we committed nearly £3 million to 16 new projects spanning treatments, management, and more, addressing these critical gaps across all types of diabetes and its complications.
And we didn’t stop there. The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a testament to our ambition, with 23 pioneering projects involving 189 researchers across 49 institutions in eight countries. In 2025 alone, these researchers published 28 groundbreaking studies in scientific journals. We also funded four new teams to develop a reliable supply of insulin-producing beta cells from stem cells, accelerating the quest for a type 1 diabetes cure. But is this enough? What more can we do to ensure these advancements reach everyone equitably?
Let’s dive into some of the transformative projects you helped fund in 2025.
Diabetes and Wellbeing: Unraveling the Emotional Toll
Diabetes isn’t just a physical condition—it profoundly impacts emotional and psychological wellbeing. That’s why supporting wellbeing is a cornerstone of our Research Strategy 2025-2030. We know type 2 diabetes and depression are linked, but here’s the part most people miss: we still don’t know the best way to treat these conditions together. In 2025, we began funding Dr. Min Gao at the University of Oxford to bridge this gap. Dr. Gao is analyzing studies on diabetes medications and their effects on depression, while also engaging directly with people living with type 2 diabetes and depression to understand their experiences. Her work could reshape treatment guidelines, offering personalized care that improves both blood sugar management and mental health.
Tackling Inequity in Women’s Health: A Call for Nuanced Care
Diabetes doesn’t affect everyone equally, and our Tackling Inequity Strategy 2025-2030 is committed to addressing this unfairness. For instance, women from South Asian backgrounds are nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes compared to White women. Yet, research often lumps South Asian communities together, ignoring cultural, religious, and linguistic differences. Is this one-size-fits-all approach holding us back?
To address this, we’re funding a project led by Ifra Ali at the University of Warwick. Ifra is exploring the care experiences of British-Pakistani women who’ve had gestational diabetes, both during and after pregnancy. By listening to their perspectives, she’s co-creating tailored healthcare solutions with the women and professionals. This approach could protect their long-term health and reduce their type 2 diabetes risk.
Together, we’re unlocking new possibilities—improving lives, bringing hope for new treatments, and moving closer to a cure. But we can’t do it alone. Your support is the catalyst for change. Thank you.
What do you think? Are we doing enough to address inequities in diabetes care? How can we ensure research benefits everyone, regardless of background? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark a conversation that drives progress.
