Bristol Medical School researcher awarded prestigious Diabetes UK fellowship

Dr Anna Long, Senior Research Associate (Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Fellow)

14 December 2018

A Bristol Medical School researcher has been awarded a prestigious Diabetes UK fellowship to understand more about adult onset type 1 diabetes. It is estimated that more than 300,000 people in the UK are living with the disease which develops when the immune system makes a mistake and destroys the cells that make insulin.

Dr Anna Long has been awarded £541,651 for a RD Lawrence Fellowship to investigate why some individuals who are at very high risk of developing type 1 diabetes appear to be relatively protected.

Dr Long said: "Having the joint support of Diabetes UK and JDRF, the two largest charities funding diabetes research in the UK, is an incredible encouragement. Everyone thinks of type 1 diabetes as a condition that children develop but the majority of diagnoses are in adults. I want to understand why this happens with the ultimate aim of preventing the condition."

Dr Long initially trained as a technician in diabetes and metabolism, then obtained a PhD in 2012 from the same laboratory before taking up a Fulbright/Diabetes UK Travelling Fellowship at the Benaroya Research Institute in Seattle. Dr Long returned to the University of Bristol three years ago.

Further information

The RD Lawrence Fellowship was established by Diabetes UK in 1976 in recognition of the life and work of the late Dr RD Lawrence, co-founder of Diabetes UK. It is a career development fellowship that enables postdoctoral researchers to establish their independence in diabetes research.