We are working on the development of new therapies that will mean people with type 1 diabetes will no longer be dependent on insulin injections.

It is now possible to cure type 1 diabetes in some patients by transplanting donor islets, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. However, this revolutionary technique, pioneered at Westmead Hospital, is only suitable for a small group of patients who have a specific form of diabetes.

Our research is trying to expand the potential of cell-based therapies to more people with diabetes, and to improve treatment outcomes.

We are investigating better ways of treating the donor pancreas to improve the number and quality of the islets we can extract, and investigating methods to reduce the amount of immunosuppression required.

We are also developing newer technologies using xenotransplantation as a potential alternative to the current methods, which rely on donor organs.

We work closely with the clinicians and patients in the National Pancreas and Islet Transplant Unit, ensuring our discoveries in the laboratory can be quickly translated into better outcomes for our patients.