Hello and welcome to Understanding Type 2 Diabetes! This course will run over 2 days and is designed to give you a good understanding of what type 2 diabetes is and how it can be managed. Day 1: Why diabetes matters will be available from 07:00 GMT on Thursday the 3rd of February. Day 2: […]
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Dawn Adams was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1993. After more than a decade of working in education, she returned to Queen’s University Belfast to train as a Midwife. Dawn volunteers with, and fundraises for, various diabetes charities. She is an advocate for research into diabetes and women’s health.
Dawn is working with researchers from Ulster University and DiabetesUK on the unique experiences of women with Diabetes during Menopause. She has previously worked with Abbott Laboratories to highlight stigma surrounding Diabetes and Menopause. In her spare time, she facilitates peer support network groups for people with diabetes locally, nationally, and globally.
Emma Jenkins
Emma Jenkins is a highly experienced diabetes educator with nearly 30 years of expertise in supporting people with Type 1 diabetes. Her work focuses not only on the dietetic aspects of care but also on helping individuals make the most of the latest diabetes technologies. She is passionate about the role of education and psychology in empowering people to manage their condition confidently and effectively.
Emma helps lead and coordinate various aspects of her local diabetes technology services and has extensive experience facilitating training for healthcare professionals at both local and national levels.
Dr Patrick English
Patrick English enjoyed a boyhood in Cornwall before studying Medicine at Bristol University1986-1991. He pursued a varied early career before training in Diabetes, Endocrinology and General Internal Medicine in Liverpool. He became a Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Liverpool where he pursued research interests in the pathophysiology of Type 2 diabetes and Obesity. He came to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth as a Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology in May 2004 and became the Diabetes Service Lead, being active in service redesign alongside general interests in diabetes, type 1 diabetes and exercise, endocrinology, obesity and the diabetic foot.
Dr English works as part of the diabetes team at Derriford Hospital providing inpatient general medical care and inpatient and outpatient diabetes services. In the secondary care service he specialises in the use of pumps and diabetes technology in type 1 diabetes. In the community, he is working with colleagues in primary and secondary care to develop a community service focussed on improving clinical outcomes and the experience of clinical care for those with type 2 diabetes
Ms. Vilasini is a Specialist Registered Dietitian with over 22 years of extensive experience in both Clinical and Public Health Dietetics, emphasising diabetes, weight management, and bariatric nutrition. She has worked across diverse healthcare settings in the UK and India, developing a global perspective on nutrition science and patient care.
Her career includes significant tenures with globally renowned organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), where she served as a Programme Officer for diabetes research, prevention, and awareness, and UNICEF, where she contributed as a Consultant in Maternal and Child Health Nutrition.
Currently, Ms. Vilasini holds multiple leadership roles, including:
She is a regular speaker at national and international conferences, having presented abstracts and shared evidence-based insights in various academic and public forums. She has published several articles on diabetes and obesity in both online and print media, and actively contributes to educational initiatives, including webinars and Q&As (e.g., Nutridoc, USA; MyWay, UK; Nutritank UK), as well as lectures for medical students pursuing diabetes fellowships.
A passionate advocate for preventive healthcare and lifestyle management, Ms. Vilasini blends scientific rigour with practical, culturally sensitive approaches to diet and wellness.
In her personal time, she enjoys cooking, baking, travelling, and practising classical dance — all of which contribute to her holistic approach to health and well-being.
Kerrie is a registered Paediatric Nurse and specialised in Paediatric diabetes for 10 years in Birmingham. She moved to the medical industry and has been working for Dexcom as a patient care specialist for the last 2 years. Outside of work, she is a mother of 2 young children. She likes to read and go to the gym in her spare time.
Gavin Griffiths was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of eight. Since then, he has taken on extraordinary physical challenges to raise awareness and inspire others—most notably running from John O’Groats to Land’s End, covering 900 miles in just 30 days.
He is the founder of DiAthlete, a registered UK charity, with League of Diabetes as its main platform. The organization is dedicated to supporting people with Type 1 diabetes through peer-led initiatives. These include a wellbeing-focused adult camp, game-based learning workshops for youth, and an annual T1D Festival designed to empower and connect the diabetes community.
DiAthlete champions the importance of recognizing the psychological demands of living with Type 1 diabetes alongside the physical, creating inclusive spaces for education, support, and shared experience.
Rochelle has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for 21 years. She currently works in the Digital team at the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, where she focuses on improving patient care and enhancing quality of life through digital innovations. In addition to her professional role, Rochelle is an advocate for Type 1 Diabetes awareness, managing multiple social media platforms where she shares her personal experiences and insights on living with the condition.
Peter has lived with type 1 diabetes for 50 years. He has facilitated the X-Pert course, started the Hammersmith & Fulham Diabetes Group and makes the occasional blog-post on the Know Diabetes website.
Lindsey is a Clinical Psychologist working with adults and young people with Diabetes in Dorset (University Hospitals Dorset NHS Trust.) She has a particular interest in how people adjust to living with Diabetes, Diabetes Distress and Burnout. She has worked as part of the NHSE funded ComPASSION treatment team, for people living with T1DE in the Wessex region, since it started.
Shona currently works as a part time Diabetes Specialist Nurse for NHS Fife as well as working as Diabetes Education Coordinator for My Diabetes My Way. Shona has worked in the diabetes field since 1999, mainly working in research into new drugs and has worked on the clinical trials for all the diabetes drugs now in common use. She has also written a regular column for the Journal of Diabetes Nursing for several years. Away from work, Shona enjoys walking her dog, Charlie, and riding her 2 horses.
Amy Jolley BSc MSc RD.
Amy is a diabetes specialist dietitian. Lead for the young adult and transition service and is a specialist in technology and diabetes management. Amy is EXTOD trained and supports a number of athletes with Type 1 diabetes. Salford Care Organisation will be accredited to deliver the patient EXTOD course from 2025 which is an exciting extension to the portfolio of services people with Type 1 diabetes can access with their care in Salford.
Hi! My name is Martin Draper. I am now 66 years old, and marathon running is my hobby. I became T1D about 20 years ago, and at that point I had only run 2 or 3 marathons.
I like setting myself challenges and over the last few years, I have joined the 100 marathon club of Great Britain, done several multi-day events, and gained entry to the world mega Marathon listing, which requires a lifetime total of 300 marathons for inclusion.
I’m currently working towards the 100 Marathon club’s triple crown (100 each of road marathons, trail marathons and ultras), and I’m targeting reaching a lifetime total of 500 marathons and ultras by the end of 2025.
I’m not a quick runner, but I’ve learned a lot about T1 and distance running over the years, and would be happy to help anyone feeling the need for a little encouragement in their running journey.
Rob Andrews is an Associate Professor at the University of Exeter, an Honorary Consultant Physician at Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton. He is one of the co-founders of EXTOD, a group that aims to provide evidence-based support for people with type 1 diabetes to undertake safe and effective exercise, and to enjoy its associated health benefits.
At the University he leads a group that researches how to encourage and support patients with diabetes to exercise. At Musgrove park hospital he runs specialist adult, adolescent and paediatric sports clinics to give advice to sports men, women and children who have Type 1 diabetes.
Dr Partridge is a Consultant in Diabetes at University Hospitals Dorset and visiting fellow at Bournemouth University. She is the clinical lead for the diabetes Insulin pump service and the COmpASSION project providing care for people living with type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder. Dr Partridge is also lead for the award winning Bertieonline providing a free digital platform offering structured education to people with type 1 diabetes .
Her specialist interests are in the psychology of living with type 1 diabetes and technology for diabetes having undertaken a fellowship in advanced diabetes technologies at University of Toronto.
Kym is a registered Nurse, having completed her training in Brighton. Since then she has worked in Cardiology, General medicine and Diabetes. Kym specialised in diabetes over 20 years ago and was the Lead Diabetes Specialist nurse at Queens Hospital in Burton for 10 of those years, before leaving to work in the Medical device industry. Having worked initially with a pump company for 6 years she has now been working for Dexcom as the Patient Care Supervisor for the last 4 years. Outside of work Kym is married, a mum to three teenagers and a dog. She enjoys walking, going to the gym and going away in her Motorhome!
Dr Iain Cranston is a diabetes physician based in Portsmouth, UK. He has specialty responsibility for the delivery of technology-driven services (CSII / CGM etc.) to approximately 1% of the UK population. Alongside this, he is the lead diabetes clinician for the Wessex renal and transplant centre, managing individuals with specific and high glycaemic risks.
He has a background in clinical research, obtained during his time at Guy’s, King’s College and St Thomas’ Hospitals, into impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia in insulin-treated diabetes and the cerebral and endocrine mechanisms underlying the syndrome. For the last 20 years, Dr Cranston has been in practice with the goal of translating the lessons learnt from research into routine clinical care consultations. This has resulted in a focus on effective glucose monitoring strategies to underpin clinical decision-making and the development of data analytical processes to guide clinical consultations towards more effective therapeutic interventions in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. He has published widely on this topic area (over 60 Peer-reviewed publications) and has been an invited speaker at Diabetes UK, EASD and many National meetings around the world
For the last 4 years, Dr Cranston has been a co-director in a collaborative educational project with Professor Roger Mazze (International Diabetes Center [IDC] Minnesota), at the AGP Clinical Academy, which has the central goal of educating healthcare professionals in the effective clinical interpretation of the ambulatory glucose profile derived from continuous glucose monitoring technologies.
Nicola Taylor is the Professional Education Specialist for Dexcom UK & Ireland.
As a Professional Education Specialist for Dexcom her role is to support Health Care Professionals with their knowledge and skills in using real-time Continuous Glucose Monitoring (rt-CGM) including how this works in Hybrid Closed Loop (HCL) systems. Her previous clinical work as a Diabetes Specialist Dietitian in the NHS focused on supporting people with diabetes with the self-management skills needed to improve diabetes control and quality of life, in particular through the use of CGM, insulin pump therapy and HCL systems. She is passionate about increasing the awareness, access to and use of technology in diabetes care.
Tracey Flax is a Learning Technologist with MyWay Digital Health. Her primary focus is on advancing structured education and resources for individuals living with diabetes. With a profound passion for the intersection of healthcare, technology, and social equality, Tracey is committed to making a meaningful impact in these domains.
Salma is a Consultant Dietitian working in the field of community health and wellbeing for over 20 years. Salma is interested in delivering diabetes care through digital platforms and is currently supporting the Northwest London Diabetes Transformation programme. She is also the co-author of the Carbs and Cals World Food Book. The first visual carbohydrate awareness resource for ethnic minority communities.
Scott Mackenzie is an academic foundation doctor in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has worked with MyWay Digital Health for a number of years to develop educational resources for people with diabetes and is passionate about improving the quality and accessible of diabetes patient education.
Dr Alex Bickerton
Alex is a Diabetes Consultant and was the Clinical Lead in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Yeovil District Hospital for many years; driving a process of modernisation from delivering general diabetes care to delivering high quality specialist care.
He was also a core member of the diverse stakeholder team who designed and implemented an integrated Diabetes Service for Somerset; aiming to put specialist knowledge at the fingertips of people with diabetes.
Alex’s specialist interests include technology in diabetes, supporting young people with diabetes as they transition from children’s to adult services and cardiovascular disease prevention, with a focus on lipids (blood fats).
Debbie is CEO and clinical lead at MWDH. She is a qualified consultant diabetologist and senior academic (University of Edinburgh – MBChB (Hons), BSc, PhD, Clin Ed Dip), a 2017–18 NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellow and one of nine 2019 UK Women in Innovation award winners.
Debbie is a national leader in diabetes artificial intelligence and an international leader in diabetes education. Previously, she was a health columnist for a national UK newspaper and TV doctor/presenter for STV. She has trained in business development through the Boston MIT Entrepreneurship programme, the Unlocking Ambition and Converge Challenge initiatives, and the University of Edinburgh AI Accelerator and has delivered more than £5m in innovation funding. Debbie has led MWDH since 2017, delivering a high-growth globally operating company with a best-in-class diabetes platform.
Alison Campbell is the Learning Resource Administrator with MyWay Digital Health.
Alison supports the development of our eLearning courses, graphics and educational resources on our public access websites.
Kirsten Cumming is the Clinical Education Lead with MyWay Digital Health.
Kirsten studied Food Nutrition and Health at Abertay University. Her work with MyWay focuses on developing structured education and resources for people with diabetes. Her sister was diagnosed with Type 1 when she was 11 years old and after developing a number of complications, had a pancreas and kidney transplant 4 years ago.