Take part in type 1 diabetes research studies

• Looking for individuals aged between 18-25 who live with type 1 diabetes and are UK undergraduates (or will be by January 2026). Must not be living with parents/guardians during term time.
• Take part in a 60-minute online interview and complete a 15-minute online survey every 2-3 months for one year. Participants will receive a £10 Amazon voucher for each time point (one interview and one survey).

Child, or adult carer of child, aged 12-18 years living with T1D

Patients’ and carers’ perceptions on implementing routine mental health screening into paediatric diabetes care

You could help researchers to determine the perceptions of patients and carers regarding:

[a] their health care team’s role in screening psychological concerns; and

[b] barriers and facilitators to implementing psychosocial screening in practice.

• Looking for individuals living with type 1 diabetes aged 12-18 years, or an adult carer of a person living with type 1 diabetes aged 12-18 years. Must have internet access and the ability to understand and converse in English, Polish, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and/or German.
• To complete an anonymous online survey taking around 15 minutes about your perception of discussing mental health concerns with diabetes care providers.

Over 18 (diagnosed for more than 1 year)

Psychological factors and the emotional wellbeing of adults living with type 1 diabetes

Help researchers understand emotional wellbeing in adults living with type 1 diabetes and highlight potential psychological treatments that may benefit those struggling with their mental health and glucose management.

• Looking for individuals aged 18 and over who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for a minimum of 1 year
• To complete an online survey (approx.. 30 minutes) asking questions about yourself, your diabetes, your psychological wellbeing, and how you respond to your thoughts and feelings.

To find out more and take part please visit the survey website.

18-70 years old who can travel to Cardiff

Does timing matter for therapies to prevent beta cell destruction? – Dr James Pearson’s Root Causes Programme Grant project

Evidence has shown that immune cells in our body have different abilities throughout the day. This research study is looking to understand these changes and identify when best to target the immune cells so that the success of any future therapies can be improved.

• Looking for individuals aged 18-70 living with type 1 diabetes who can attend the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
• Involves giving two blood samples, one in the morning between 7-9am and another 10-14 hours later, at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Eligible participants who successfully donate both samples will be provided with a £300 voucher from Love2shop.

To get involved in this study, please contact the research nurses for further information: Shinto Jose (joses8@cardiff.ac.uk) and Alex Howell (howella4@cardiff.ac.uk).

18-50 years old and can travel to Ulster*

Glucose lowering actions of hormone Alpha-MSH

You could help researchers investigate if and how alpha-MSH (a natural hormone) can reduce blood sugar levels. Which could potentially lead to new treatments for type 1 diabetes.

• Looking for individuals aged 18-50 years old, living with or without type 1 diabetes, who are able to attend the Human Interventions Studies Unit, at Ulster University (Coleraine Campus) – Ireland
• To take part in one of three studies:
  • Study 1 – Two 4-hour visits, receiving alpha-MSH or placebo and blood samples taken (receive £100)
  • Study 2 – Two 4-hour visits, receiving alpha-MSH or placebo, blood samples taken and two small muscle biopsies (receive £200)
  • Study 3 – One 45-minute visit, having one muscle biopsy (receive £100)

For more information, and to get involved please visit the study webpage.

18-66 years old

Could breaking up sitting improve heart health in people with type 1 diabetes using hybrid closed-loop insulin pumps?

You could help researchers understand how active breaks (short walks every 30 mins) might help improve heart health in people with type 1 diabetes.

• Looking for individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged 18-66 years who use a HCL system.
• To take part in short online questionnaires, 2 x 8-hour visits to laboratories in Birmingham, Liverpool or Manchester. AS well as wearing an activity monitor and meal plan 2 days prior to these visits. Participants will receive a £50 Love2Shop voucher for their time, and all travel costs will be reimbursed.

Please email Joseph Jenkins at jgj301@student.bham.ac.uk for more information or how to get involved.

18-66 years old who don’t regularly exercise

How regular activity can affect type 1 diabetes (EXTOD-Active)

Could you help researchers see if taking short active breaks can improve glucose management and wellbeing in people with type 1 diabetes who spend most of their day sitting down?

• Looking for individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (for at least 3 years) aged 18-66 years, who spend most of their day sitting down and don’t regularly exercise.
• To take part in a 1-month intervention where researchers will help you to take regular short (3-minute) walks to break up sitting time. You will also receive a health check in your own home before and after the intervention as well as a £75 voucher for your participation.

Please email extod.active@gmail.com for more information or to sign up.

Women who are pregnant living with, or with a connection to, T1D*

INSIGHT-2 PISA

You could help the PISA study team understand the mechanisms of autoimmune disease development in children and how to potentially predict its onset.

• Looking for individuals who are pregnant, and living with T1D OR have any first-degree relatives that live with T1D OR the father of the baby lives with T1D. Must be booked at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust or King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (London).
• To take part in a clinical trial, involving visits to St Thomas’ Hospital, London for small venous blood samples from your baby at 12 and 24 months old, and home sampling blood testing.

To find out more information and get in touch with the study team, please fill out the form and a member of the team will be in touch.

Women over 18 years old and over 12 weeks pregnant*

Lived experience of pregnancy and early motherhood of individuals living with and without T1D

You could help researchers better understand the experiences and expectations of pregnancy, childbirth and navigating T1D.

• Looking for women over the age of 18 (living with or without T1D) based in the UK
• To take part in:
  • Living with T1D – A short survey, attend a brief online one-to-one meeting and keep an online diary over a four-week period. Participants will receive a £20 supermarket voucher for their time. More information.
  • Living without T1D – A 20-30 minute survey about your experiences and expectations of pregnancy and childbirth. More information.

To find out more or get involved, please follow the link above for the study that suits you.

**Last 1-2 study participants needed! Get involved today.**

Women over 18 years old who have given birth in the last 18 months

Lived experience of T1D in pregnancy and early motherhood

You could help researchers better understand the experiences and expectations of pregnancy, childbirth and navigating T1D.

• Looking for women over 18 years old, living with T1D who have given birth in the last 18 months and are based in the UK.
• To take part in an online one-to-one meeting, take photos that capture your experiences of being a new mother living with T1D over a two-week period and attend a follow-up interview to discuss your photographs. Participants will receive a £20 supermarket voucher for their time.

To find out more or get involved, please visit the study website.

Contact us

Any questions, please email researchcommunications@breakthroughT1D.org.uk.