The Diabetes & Obesity Theme, led by Dr Gavin Bewick, strives to improve
the health of people living with diabetes and obesity.
Our research aims to prevent, treat, and cure metabolic diseases.
We work in laboratories, hospitals and with communities to better understand the causes, mechanisms and complications of metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity, and to find new ways to manage these diseases.
We have a distinguished history of diabetes research and treatment. We were the first in the UK to treat diabetes with insulin, we first developed insulin pump therapy and we pioneered islet transplantation and metabolic surgery as treatment options for our patients.
Based at the Guy’s and Denmark Hill campuses, we bring together over 60 experts in molecular and cell biology, physiology, and specialists in a range of clinical techniques, all of whom focus on improving the lives of people with diabetes and obesity. We are, therefore, uniquely placed to teach the next generation of researchers and doctors. We contribute to research-led undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes and offer a range of opportunities for postgraduate students.
We seek to understand diabetes and obesity at every stage of life and how the physiological changes it causes affect other aspects of physical and mental health. We take a multisystem approach, exploring the regulation of key organs including the pancreas, gut, fat, liver, kidney brain and the immune system, how they connect, what happens when they go wrong and how this is shaped by genetics and lifestyle. More information about ongoing projects in each of our five research groups can be found below.