Celebrating Professor Stephanie Amiel: Honored with Damehood for Pioneering Diabetes Care

Congratulations to Diabetes UK-funded investigator Professor Stephanie Amiel, who has been awarded a Damehood in the New Year Honours list, acknowledging her pioneering contributions in diabetes research and its significant effect on the lives of those with the condition.

Stephanie Amiel holds the Emeritus position as Professor of Diabetes Research at King’s College London. Her transformative research has redefined diabetes management through the development of diabetes education programs, facilitating transplants of insulin-producing cells from donors, and enhancing our comprehension of hypoglycaemia.(low blood glucose, commonly referred to as hypos).

She has been a committed advocate for Diabetes UK and our research efforts, holding positions on our Research Committee and chairing our Science and Research Advisory Group for numerous years. Her leadership has shaped the trajectory of our research, ensuring it creates the utmost impact.

Assisting individuals to manage their type 1

Professor Amiel’s distinguished career has been motivated by a resolve to alleviate the challenges associated with living with diabetes.

In 2000, in collaboration with colleagues Prof Simon Heller and Dr Sue Roberts, she developed a transformative educational initiative, Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE), funded by Diabetes UK.

This program assists individuals with type 1 diabetes in modifying their insulin doses based on their dietary intake and various other factors that may influence blood glucose levels, empowering them to manage their health with confidence.

By 2023, nearly 60,000 individuals with type 1 diabetes in the UK had successfully completed a DAFNE course, leading to more stable blood sugar levels and an improved quality of life.

Assisting some in generating their own insulin

In 2005, we subsequently supported Prof Amiel and her team at King’s College London to conduct the UK’s first-ever islet transplants.

Islet transplants entail extracting clusters of insulin-producing beta cells, known as islets, from a donor pancreas and transplanting them into a patient with type 1 diabetes.

By 2008, thanks to Prof Amiel’s innovative work and leadership, islet transplants became available through the NHS for individuals with type 1 who experience hypo unawareness and suffer from severe hypos.

These procedures can be life-saving and provide substantial benefits – enabling individuals to temporarily produce sufficient insulin to minimize or cease insulin treatment, maintain more stable blood sugar levels, experience fewer severe hypos, and regain hypo awareness.

Support for hypos

Prof Amiel’s groundbreaking studies have also transformed our understanding and treatment of hypos. This includes research into the biological mechanisms responsible for low blood sugar levels, the effects hypos have on the lives of those with diabetes and their families, and discovering new approaches to address them.

In 1994, Prof Amiel demonstrated that hypo awareness could be restored by refraining from experiencing hypos for a certain period. This provided a novel way for individuals to regain their ability to sense the symptoms of low blood sugar, thereby reducing the likelihood of life-threatening severe hypos.

Throughout her career, Prof Amiel has also applied methodologies she developed for studying hypos to investigate other diabetes-related issues, such as the effects of insulin resistance and obesity on appetite, the influence of ethnicity on type 2 diabetes, diabetes in pregnancy, and the interplay between physical and mental health in individuals with diabetes.

Prof Amiel remarked:

“This award has completely taken me by surprise – I am of course thrilled. Much of what I have accomplished has been in partnership with remarkable colleagues, and this recognition acknowledges their contributions as well. One of the great privileges of an academic career is the exceptional people you meet.

“However, receiving this honour for my services to individuals with diabetes is both heartening and humbling. They are the true champions in the diabetes narrative and if I have contributed to improving the lives of some of them, that is indeed a privilege.””

Anna Morris, Assistant Director of Research at Diabetes UK, stated:

“Professor Amiel’s Damehood exemplifies her relentless dedication to enhancing the lives of those with diabetes. Her remarkable contributions to research have transformed the diabetes care landscape, bringing about genuine change for many.

“Her leadership and expertise have been crucial in directing and reinforcing our research efforts at Diabetes UK.

“We extend our warmest congratulations to Dame Stephanie on this well-deserved honour and thank her for her many years of steadfast commitment.”