In this section

Metabolic Medicine

Two people in a lab

Researchers in the Section of Metabolic Medicine conduct clinical studies in people living with all forms of diabetes. Our overarching aim is to improve prevention, treatment, and long-term health outcomes for individuals with diabetes. This is achieved through patient-centred clinical research, analysis of electronic health records, and population-based studies.

Our work spans four key areas of research:

Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes

Dr Shivani Misra leads a team investigating the heterogeneity of early-onset type 2 diabetes across diverse ancestries, with the goal of advancing precision medicine approaches. Her team utilises population datasets and early-onset diabetes cohorts, including the MY DIABETES study, to better understand disease mechanisms and outcomes.

Type 1 Diabetes and the ADDRESS-2 Study

Our researchers coordinate ADDRESS-2, one of the largest cohorts of adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. This study has provided novel insights into the pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes, with ongoing research examining the role of viral infections in disease development. ADDRESS-2 is led by Professor Des Johnston and Professor Nick Oliver.

Leveraging Real-World Data for Diabetes

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, Dr David Hope, and their team lead studies that apply real-world data to improve population health, inform healthcare interventions, and enhance diabetes care delivery across England. Their work ensures the effective implementation and quality assurance of targeted interventions at a national scale.

Diabetes Technology

Professor Nick Oliver and Dr Lala Leelarantha lead research on emerging and existing technologies for diabetes management. Their studies focus on the application of continuous glucose monitoring, hybrid closed-loop systems, and digital health innovations to improve outcomes for people with type 1 and type 2.

Key studies, research groups and collaborations

ADDRESS-2 study - learning about the characteristics of people newly diagnosed with type 1 with diabetes in the UK and supporting other research into type 1 diabetes.
ABC4D study - Advanced Bolus Calculator for Diabetes.
AIR-CGM - Assessment of the Impact of Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring on People Presenting With Severe Hypoglycaemia.
ALPHA - Assessment of the Accuracy of Continuous Glucose Sensors in People With Diabetes Undergoing Haemodialysis.
ARISES – Adaptive, Real-time, Intelligent System to Enhance Self-care of chronic disease.
BiAP study - Clinical Evaluation of an Artificial Pancreas in people with Type 1 Diabetes. Publication found here.
I HART CGM study - Comparison of Continuous Glucose Monitoring vs. Flash Glucose Monitoring in Type 1 diabetes. Publication found here.
PACE – The impact of predictive hypoglycaemia alert function in physical activity for people with T1DM.
PEPPER study - Personalised Decision Support system for diabetes management in Type 1 Diabetes.
MY DIABETES study - Characterising Young-Onset Diabetes in two UK ethnic groups, specifically identifying potential genetic causes to their diabetes known as Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY).
WynnMet - The Wynn Database: Metabolic Risk Factors and Mortality

Collaborations

Section leadership

Head of Metabolic Medicine - Dr Shivani Misra

Dr Shivani Misra is a Wellcome Trust Clinical Career Development Fellow & a Senior Clinical Lecturer within Imperial College London & Honorary Diabetes Consultant. Dr Misra has two main areas of research interest and clinical expertise: 1) She leads a portfolio of studies that investigate the genetics, epidemiology, classification and treatment of early-onset type 2 diabetes, defined as a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in childhood or early-adulthood. 2) She investigates type 2 diabetes heterogeneity & precision medicine efforts in type 2 diabetes focussing on population diversity & health equity

Further information on Dr Shivani Misra