Dr Sybil McAuley is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne (Department of Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital). She recently received a JDRF Travel Grant that allowed her to further her research in the field of insulin pump therapy and glucose sensing, which she describes as having the ultimate goal of “closing the loop” in type 1 diabetes care.

My research focuses on optimising the match of insulin delivery to individual insulin requirements to minimise future diabetes-related complications.

I am examining the blood levels of insulin and glucose following increases and decreases in background (basal) insulin pump infusion rates. The results generated from this research have the potential to help answer the important clinical question of how many basal rates are recommended to program into an insulin pump for a 24-hour period, and change the way people on pumps manage their diabetes.

I am also examining changes in blood levels of insulin and glucose with exercise and type 1 diabetes. Exercise has many benefits for people with type 1 diabetes, and it does affect blood glucose levels. The results of this research can help to advise people with type 1 diabetes of the optimal timing and levels of exercise-related reductions in insulin delivery.

A further focus of my work is to investigate new glucose sensing technology to improve the reliability and accuracy of continuous glucose monitoring. Our study will test whether the performance of new glucose sensors is superior to current glucose sensing and finger-prick tests. The ultimate goal is to one day “close the loop” in type 1 diabetes care through the development of an artificial pancreas.

JDRF funding has been instrumental in allowing me to work on these three clinical research projects towards a PhD.

In 2007, while training as an adult endocrinologist, I was involved in the clinical care of Victoria’s first successful islet transplant recipient, and this sparked my interest in new therapies in type 1 diabetes care. The research studies I am now undertaking complement my type 1 diabetes clinical practice, and ultimately aim to maximise the benefit that people with type 1 diabetes can gain from technology.

Following ten years working in clinical medicine, I greatly appreciate the JDRF support which has enabled me to join a diabetes technology research group. Our group is currently undertaking the first real-world studies in humans of novel diabetes technology devices including insulin pumps and glucose sensors.

Building upon my current research training, I hope to continue research in the field of type 1 diabetes and technology into the future.