Skip to main content

JDRF has now rebranded to Breakthrough T1D.
Our name has changed, our mission has not.

Shared story

Beyond the lab: A researcher’s journey to tackling type 1 diabetes

Researcher, Dr Paidamoyo Katsande, shares why she’s so passionate about curing type 1 diabetes and how Breakthrough T1D supporters are bringing us closer to a cure.
Content last reviewed and updated: 05.02.2025

A photo of Dr. Paidamoyo Katsande, a type 1 diabetes researcher.

A passion for type 1 diabetes research

Growing up in Zimbabwe, I moved to the UK when I was just eight years old, carrying with me a childhood dream of becoming a doctor. I didn’t know what kind, but I knew one thing for sure, I wanted to contribute to improving people’s quality of life.

Coming from a community with limited healthcare resources, I saw how reduced access to diagnostics and education could leave people undiagnosed or struggling to manage their conditions. Those observations sparked a lifelong desire to raise awareness and pursue science that makes a tangible difference.

Today, I am a postdoctoral researcher at Cardiff University with a PhD in molecular biology and Immunology. While I’m not a medical doctor, my work focuses on the science that can lead to groundbreaking treatments for type 1 diabetes (T1D). It’s a field that I have truly found my heart in, and every day I am driven by the goal of contributing to research that could one day lead to a cure.

Finding inspiration in stories

What fuels my passion is not just the science but the personal stories of people living with T1D. Attending community events like Discovery Days hosted by Breakthrough T1D UK has given me the privilege to hear firsthand about the challenges individuals face. I vividly remember attending a Discovery Day where a participant with lived experience shared their journey navigating everyday life with T1D, everything from counting carbs at family dinners to explaining their condition to new friends. Hearing their resilience and optimism made me realise that my work in the lab is more than just science; it’s a path toward making a real difference for individuals and families living with T1D.

Closer to home, I had a heartfelt conversation with a neighbour whose child has T1D. She shared how she often had to visit the school to help staff understand her child’s medical needs and ensure proper support in managing blood glucose levels. Her story was a powerful reminder of the need to raise awareness and advocate for better education about T1D, not just in healthcare but in everyday settings like schools.

The impact of research

I work in Dr. James Pearson’s lab on a research project funded through the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge. Here, we are exploring how the immune system changes throughout the day and investigating whether aligning treatments with the body’s natural 24-hour body clock — the internal system that regulates sleep, hormones, and energy levels — can make therapies more effective.

One promising area of our work focuses on a therapy involving low doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2), a molecule that can retrain immune cells called Tregs to protect insulin-producing beta cells. By understanding when during the day immune cells are most responsive to IL-2, we hope to optimise the timing of this therapy and improve outcomes for people with T1D.

We are studying how Treg cells regulate the immune system and analysing how their activity changes throughout the day in both mice and humans. By identifying the best time to administer IL-2, this research could pave the way for clinical trials and ultimately lead to more effective therapies for T1D.

Raising awareness

Social media has become an invaluable tool for me to share the exciting advancements happening in T1D research and connect with people who are directly impacted by it. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have allowed me to break down complex science in a way that sparks thoughtful discussions and spreads awareness.

One of my most impactful posts, “Spotting Type 1 Diabetes Early”, generated an incredible conversation around early diagnosis and how it can save lives. Another favourite was “Low-dose IL-2: Boosts Tregs, protects beta cells, stops Type 1 Diabetes in mice”, where I shared insights on low-dose IL-2 therapy and how it protects beta cells in mice. Seeing how these posts resonated with so many people reminded me just how powerful sharing research in accessible ways can be.

Beyond the lab

When I’m not in the lab cooking up groundbreaking science or sharing T1D wisdom, you can find me at the gym, rolling out my yoga mat, getting messy with a paintbrush, hiking up mountains, or jet-setting to new places. These activities are my way of finding balance and maintaining a clear mind for the work that drives me.

Why support Breakthrough T1D?

Supporting organisations like Breakthrough T1D is crucial for advancing T1D research. Diabetes is not a one-size-fits-all condition, and finding treatments that cater to the diverse needs of individuals requires ongoing innovation and investment. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us move closer to a future where better treatments and hopefully a cure become a reality.

The work being done thanks to Breakthrough T1D has already transformed lives, but there is still so much more to do. The future is bright, and with every contribution we get one step closer to a world where T1D isn’t something to be managed, but something to be cured. Together, we can do this!

More shared experiences

Read more
Islet cells from human donors
Research

Taking cell therapies from the lab to the clinic

In November last year, we visited our event on ‘Advancing Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes: Overcoming Barriers to Developing Clinical Trials in Europe’. Read our top three takeaways and find out more about cell therapies in type 1 diabetes.

Read more
A screenshot from the INVISIBLE film showing Duke Al Durham speaking.
Research

INVISIBLE: A powerful film on under-representation of different ethnicities in health research

It’s a well-known issue that diverse ethnic groups are not represented in health research. But a team of medical charities and people with lived experience is driving change in this area by raising the voices of people from diverse ethnic groups through a powerful film called INVISIBLE.

Read more
Type 1 Discovery magazine issue 98 cover from Breakthrough T1D with "meet Kitty" as main story
News

Type 1 Discovery magazine: Issue 98

Get your copy of issue 98 of Type 1 Discovery magazine, which includes a feature on the making of our Breakthrough T1D film 'What a cure feels like'.

Read more
A photo of two members of Breakthrough T1D UK staff standing behind the large letters #ISPAD50 in blue and yellow.
Expert opinion

Five things we learnt at international conference on type 1 diabetes in young people

This year almost 2,000 experts from around the world gathered in Lisbon, Portugal to mark the 50th anniversary of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD). Here are five of our highlights from the conference.

Connect with us on social