Dr Nick Thomas from the University of Exeter has received a prestigious European award for his work on identifying early markers of type 1 diabetes in adults, aiming to improve early diagnosis and personalised treatment strategies.
Dr Nick Thomas, a consultant at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and an academic clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, has received a 2026 European Association for the Study of Diabetes Rising Star Symposium and European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes Rising Star Research Fellowship Programme prize for work on the earliest stages of type 1 diabetes in adults. The award is intended to back emerging researchers with the potential to shape future diabetes care, and carries a research grant through the EASD and EFSD programme. According to the University of Exeter, Thomas’s project focuses on adults with islet autoantibodies, which are early markers of type 1 diabetes that can appear long before diagnosis.
His research will use stored patient samples to track how often adults who unknowingly carried those markers later developed type 1 diabetes and needed insulin. The Exeter team said the work will also examine whether routine clinical data and genetic testing can help identify which patients are most likely to require insulin soon after diagnosis, with the aim of improving treatment decisions at the point of care.
The recognition adds to Exeter’s wider reputation in type 1 diabetes research. The university says its researchers have helped develop a simple C-peptide test, now used in the UK and internationally, to measure how much insulin the body is making and guide treatment changes. More recently, Exeter researchers were involved in the first UK adult to begin a therapy designed to delay progression to type 1 diabetes, following a diagnosis during pregnancy.
Taken together, the award and the earlier clinical milestones point to a broader shift in diabetes care: identifying risk earlier, distinguishing which patients need insulin immediately and building a more tailored approach for adults at the start of disease. The EASD says the Rising Star programme is designed to support that kind of innovative work, while Exeter says Thomas’s project will strengthen understanding of pre-symptomatic type 1 diabetes and may help shape future monitoring and prevention strategies.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
