Andrew Hattersley is a consultant physician and clinical scientist whose work on the genetic causes of diabetes has transformed the treatment of thousands of patients. His careful studies of rare forms of diabetes caused by mutations in single genes have clarified the mechanisms by which some diabetic patients fail to control their blood sugar.
Significantly, he discovered that many patients misdiagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes were capable of producing insulin, but that a genetic defect prevented their insulin-producing cells from responding to rising blood sugar levels. Now, instead of injecting themselves with insulin, these patients can take a simple daily pill to restore their insulin response after meals.
Andrew built up his laboratory into a leading centre for research into gene variants causing both single-gene and type 2 diabetes. In 2014 he shared the Naomi Berrie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diabetes Research with his colleague Mark McCarthy.
Subject groups
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Health and Human Sciences
Clinical endocrinology, Clinical physiology, Medicine, clinical studies, Molecular medicine
Awards
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Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Prize and Lecture
For his work on genetic and physiological studies of patients with common subtypes of monogenic diabetes revolutionising treatment for these patients.
