JDRF Global Centre of Excellence in Diabetes Research
Improving the lives of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and reducing the burden on their families, the health system and the community.
A new research model
Across the world, researchers are working to solve the many parts of the T1D puzzle. JDRF helps fund their work, connects their research and helps get solutions to people with T1D as quickly as possible.
JDRF Centres of Excellence represent a new research model, bringing together experts from diverse fields and multiple institutions to accelerate the pace of T1D research. Building on established expertise in a particular location, JDRF Centres of Excellence are designed to maximise resources, recruit new talent and achieve breakthroughs.
An Australian first with international reach
Based at the Children’s Diabetes Centre, Perth, the JDRF Global Centre of Excellence is one of only four Centres in the world, and the first outside the US. Collaboration will be a focus, bringing together experts from diverse fields to work together to improve outcomes for children with T1D.
With collaborators representing every state in Australia as well as world-leading institutions in the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand and Scotland, the Centre has both a national and global presence.
Improving lives by accelerating research
Childhood and adolescence are periods of high risk for T1D, as optimal glucose management is difficult to achieve during this period of enormous biological, developmental and social change. Because of this, more than 85% of young people do not meet recommended glycaemic targets, putting them at risk of complications.
The vision of the JDRF Global Centre of Excellence is to improve health outcomes for children with T1D and reduce the burden of the disease. It will do this by:
Developing personalised models of T1D care
The Centre will evaluate and implement new models of care for children with T1D, with the aim of creating personalised approaches that can get the right therapy to the right person, at the right time.
Fast-tracking translation of research
By addressing the barriers to implementing treatments and knowledge in the clinic, the Centre will accelerate the translation of research into mainstream clinical practice and policy.
Leveraging collaboration, partnerships and talent
The Centre brings together experts from diverse fields, including health economics, clinical research, public health and health innovation, working together to accelerate T1D breakthroughs.
Centre leadership
The JDRF Global Centre of Excellence will be driven by two of Australia’s leading type 1 diabetes researchers and clinicians, Professors Elizabeth Davis and Tim Jones, with close involvement of the global knowledge and experience of JDRF.
Prof Davis and Prof Jones have a track record of research excellence in leading the Children’s Diabetes Centre, based at the Telethon Kids Institute and Perth Children’s Hospital, Western Australia.
An expert international scientific advisory group comprising world-renowned leaders in type 1 diabetes has also been assembled to ensure the global relevance and connectedness of the Centre.
Individual collaborators and stakeholders
University of Adelaide, Australia
Prof Jenny Couper (PI)
Barbara Davis Centre, University of Colorado, USA
Dr Laurel Messer
University of Basel, Switzerland
Dr Marie-Anne Burckhardt
University of Otago, New Zealand
Dr Martin de Bock
Fiona Stanley Hospital, Australia
Dr Gerry Fegan
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Prof Peter Adolfsson
Harvard University, USA
Prof David Bloom (PI)
Dr Jeffrey Cannon
Dr Maddalena Ferranna
Daniel Cadarette
Macquarie University, Australia
A/Prof Yvonne Zurynski (PI)
Prof Jeffrey Braithwaite (PI)
University of Melbourne, Australia
Prof David O’Neal
Monash University, Australia
Prof Sophia Zoungas (PI)
Dr Anthony Pease
Dr Ella Zomer
Dr Emily Callander
Monash Children’s Hospital, Australia
A/Prof Phil Bergman
NHS Lothian, Scotland
Dr Tarini Chetty
North Adelaide Local Health Network, Australia
Dr Anthony Zimmermann
Queensland Health, Australia
Dr Tony Huynh
Dr Anthony Russell
Stanford University, USA
Prof David Maahs
Dr Dessi Zaharieva
Telethon Kids Institute, Australia
Prof Elizabeth Davis (Co-Director)
Prof Tim Jones (Co-Director)
Ms Anne McKenzie
Dr Mary Abraham
Dr Vinutha Shetty
Dr Aveni Haynes
Dr Amelia Harray
Dr Keely Bebbington
Dr Craig Taplin
Dr Rad Aniba
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Australia
Prof Ann Maguire
Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Australia
Dr Kristen Neville
Dr Helen Woodhead
University of Sydney, Australia
Dr Alicia Jenkins
University of Western Australia, Australia
Prof Paul Fournier
Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
Prof Jan Fairchild
York University, Canada
Prof Mike Riddell
