KCL Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge

Research Spotlight: Dr @lydiagatward.bsky.social 🌟

Lydia is boosting the survival of stem cell-derived islets and testing them in vivo to advance diabetes therapies. Funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation, she’s a lab whiz, teacher, marathon runner, hiker & live music fan!

Staying active on and off the clock!
The KCL Diabetes Team keeps moving with our weekly Thursday evening run club - and here’s a snap of some of our team members from a recent run!
We sometimes follow it up with a monthly quiz night too - keeping both body and mind active💡
#KCLDiabetes

Celebrating @aileenking.bsky.social birthday in style 🥳The team came together for an in-house hot pot filled with laughter, great food, and even better company.
Wishing her a very happy birthday with lots of joy, exciting scientific discoveries, and many more wonderful memories like these 💫🎂

A great team-building day in the park last year 🌳 Stepping outside the labs to enjoy nature, brave the weather, and spend quality time together - with a surprise visit from a special furry friend who clearly wanted to join the team!

#KCLT1DiabetesGrandChallenge #teambuilding

We have successfully reached the end of our first batch of ARMI cells! 🧬
Looking back at these pictures makes us so proud of how far we’ve come. Now, we eagerly await our second batch of cells and the exciting research ahead.
#KCLT1Diabetes #ARMIcells #cellculture #research

🔬 Researcher Spotlight: @tzuwenhong.bsky.social
Postdoc funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation & KHP DEO, studying how support cells help beta cells survive for diabetes therapies. Marathon runner, triathlete & our go-to lab photographer 📸🏃‍♀️
#KCLT1DiabetesGrandChallenge #WomenInScience #STEM

Welcoming 2026 after a wonderful festive break ✨ Excited for new discoveries, impactful research updates, and more team moments as we drive progress in Type 1 Diabetes research.

Spreading festive cheer with the best team! 🎅🎄
We celebrated Christmas on campus with our own Santa & Elf, gift-giving, plenty of laughter, and amazing food - quality-checked and approved by Aileen 😉

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ✨🎉

Shout-out to our team for taking part in the annual Foodbank Run/Walk from London Bridge to Pecan, helping provide much-needed support to the local community this season!

#KCLT1DiabetesGrandChallenge #CommunitySupport

Our team had a great time at the T1D Grand Challenge Symposium this week - sharing our research and PPI work, meeting brilliant teams, and gaining fresh insights. Grateful for the collaborations and inspired for what’s next! #kclt1diabetesgrandchallenge #Research #PPI

Here’s the team during our monthly SMF project meeting - catching up on research updates, planning follow-ups, strengthening PPI involvement, and exploring new ways to improve the project.

And of course… fuelled by Rosie's homemade cinnamon rolls. A productive meeting and a delicious one! ✨

On #WorldDiabetesDay, we celebrate the strength of everyone living with Type 1 diabetes. At King’s College London, the Steve Morgan Foundation Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is powering research that fuels hope and drives real change. 💙

This is how happy we get when we create beta cells in the lab! 🎉
@rksullivan.bsky.social joy says it all after successfully growing some beautiful beta cells - smiles all around 😊
More exciting research updates coming soon!
#KCLT1DiabetesGrandChallenge #BetaCells #StemCellResearch

Throwback to our recent in-person PP meeting! The PPI team visited the animal lab for a first-hand look at the amazing research underway - a great chance for researchers to showcase their work and for PPI members to see progress up close 🔬
#PublicInvolvement #TeamScience #InnovationInAction

For this 12-month project, the team will use various techniques to investigate and compare the function of these stem cell–derived beta cells to human islets to ensure they produce enough insulin and behave just as well as normal beta cells do.

We’re excited to welcome Jess, Adya & Neve, joining 3 other UK sites to test stem cell–derived beta cells from Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) (USA). This 12-month project aims to advance research toward scalable islet transplantation solutions.
#StemCells #DiabetesResearch

✨Diwali at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social ! ✨
Our team celebrated the festival of lights together. Big thanks to Adya for leading the celebration, sharing Diwali’s story, and treating us to vada pav, paneer tikka, samosas & coconut barfi! 🪔💛
#Diwali #TeamCulture #DiversityAndInclusion

✨ Welcome Ryea Arora, our newest Research Technician! ✨
MSc Pharmacology (with Professional Placement) from King’s College London. Loves reading, baking, travelling, and was a barista during uni! ☕📚✈️🍰

#KCLT1DiabetesGrandChallenge #NewTeamMember #WomenInSTEM #ResearchTechnician #WelcomeToTheTeam

100km. Two amazing cyclists, @tzuwenhong.bsky.social & @rksullivan.bsky.social, recently crushed it! 🚴‍♀️ Memories made, fluids consumed, and huge thanks to Shanta for cheering them on – your support made all the difference! 🌟

#WomenInSTEM #CyclingAdventures #TeamPride #KCLT1Diabetes

@tzuwenhong.bsky.social

Tzuwen, our research fellow, presented on how islets are made to our PPI Steering Group and at @type1diabetesuk.bsky.social. Her creative, engaging talk showcased our team’s work, making complex science accessible and fun, and highlighting our research to patients and the wider diabetes community!

@aileenking.bsky.social @lydiagatward.bsky.social @rksullivan.bsky.social @tzuwenhong.bsky.social @adyayay.bsky.social

We were delighted to host our second in-person PPI meeting today! 🎉 A fantastic opportunity for the research team to connect with our PPI group, hear their perspectives, share updates, and engage in open discussions that highlight the importance of collaboration in shaping meaningful research.

@kingscollegelondon.bsky.social

🔦 Researcher Spotlight 🔦

Peter Jones has dedicated 30+ years at to diabetes research & teaching, serving as Head of Physiology (2016–23). Outside work he’s a walker, gardener, craft beer brewer, proud Granddad - and an occasional cornsnake breeder.

#ResearcherSpotlight #DiabetesResearch

🔬 Research Spotlight
Our research team is co-culturing beta cells (green) with supporter MSCs (red). Beta cells migrate into islet-like structures, while MSCs may leave behind scaffolds for survival.

🚀 Stay tuned for more updates - we’re just getting started!
#kclt1diabetes #islettransplantation

@aileenking.bsky.social gave a tandem talk with Patrick McDonald at the DDEA Summer School (25–28 Aug), while Jana won a poster prize!

They enjoyed the sessions, early swims, great food & networking with fellow PhD researchers in diabetes & endocrinology.

#Diabetes #Endocrinology #Research

🌟 Research Spotlight 🌟
Meet @aileenking.bsky.social – Head of Pharmacology & Therapeutics at KCL & global leader in islet transplantation. Inspiring teacher, pioneering diabetes researcher, and all-round force of nature. Also skis, runs & kitesurfs!

#T1D #STEM #KCLResearch

Great meeting with our PPI Lead, Sarah, who shared valuable feedback on PPI’s role in our research and ways to boost engagement.
Her leadership and passion are vital in connecting our team with the wider PPI group.

We finished with a lovely team lunch - always nice to connect beyond work!
#PPI