Prevention of Diabetes and Related Metabolic Disorders in High Risk Groups

Programme Leader – Prof Simon Griffin

Programme members:

Amy Ahern – Senior Investigator Scientist
April Arnold – Study Coordinator
Jack Birch – PhD Student
Clare Boothby – Data Scientist
Christine Grainger – Programme Administrator
Simon Griffin – Programme Leader
Rebecca Jones – PhD Student
Emma Lawlor – Research Associate
Julia Mueller – Research Associate
Rebecca Richards – Research Associate
Jean Strelitz – MRC Postdoctoral Fellow
Marie Stubbings – Study Coordination Assistant
Emma Wells – Study Coordinator
Fiona Whittle – Research Programme Manager
Jenny Woolston – Study Coordinator

The overall goal of our research is to reduce the health care and societal burdens of obesity and type 2 diabetes by developing and evaluating scalable individual-level interventions, targeting readily identifiable population subgroups, at key points on the diabetes disease trajectory.

We are a multidisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, psychologists, and data scientists. Supported by a mix of MRC programme funding and external funding (for example NIHR and Wellcome) we have established a programme of observational and experimental studies addressing key uncertainties that constrain policy decisions regarding the most appropriate and efficient distribution of scarce preventive resources to reduce the burden of diabetes and obesity.

Our research programme is characterised by meticulous phenotyping of participants (in particular precise measurement of behaviours), identification of modifiable determinants of behaviour and other risk factors for disease, prudent development of interventions informed by behavioural science theory, and rigorous evaluation with extended follow-up to enable assessment of important clinical endpoints and modelling to estimate cost-effectiveness and inform policy.

We focus on generating evidence and resolving uncertainties across three key challenges facing behavioural interventions for prevention and early treatment of type 2 diabetes: achieving sustained changes in behaviour; delivering cost-effective interventions with the necessary scale and reach; having a meaningful long-term impact on disease incidence and associated health care costs.

Our objectives are to:

Quantify the long long-term impact on health outcomes of feasible changes in health-related behaviours and weight.
Identify determinants of these changes in behaviours, in different groups, at different points along the disease trajectory
Develop scalable, contextually-specific interventions to support individuals to make and sustain changes in behaviours and weight.
Evaluate the long-term impact of scalable behavioural interventions on health outcomes and healthcare costs.

Central to our research is a focus on translating knowledge into action. Our studies have provided the majority of original data referred to by international recommendations concerning screening for type 2 diabetes, including the HTA report for the UK National Screening Committee, and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review. We also contributed data to NICE and USPSTF guidance on weight management. Through membership of expert panels we have contributed to IDF and WHO evidence reviews concerning metabolic syndrome and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Our work on prevention of type 2 diabetes has influenced national policy via Nick Wareham serving as chair and Simon Griffin as an expert witness to NICE committees developing relevant public health guidance (PHG 35 and 38). Our work on screening for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk influences policy via membership of the NHS England Health Checks advisory board.

Dr Amy Ahern and Professor Simon Griffin co-lead the NIHR PGfAR funded programme on Scalable behavioural weight management programmes for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, which will examine the cost-effectiveness of using non-specialists (health trainers, community members) and technology (internet, phones) to deliver behavioural weight management programmes to people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and people with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.