Research

Help us beat diabetes

Published 23 June 2011

University scientists are to work with weight loss volunteers to fight diabetes – and they are asking the public to help finance the research.

The University of Brighton's Diabetes Research Group is investigating the mechanisms underlying the progression of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as developing new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of both forms of the disease.

They are working on treatments to help diabetics produce their own insulin – something that could benefit 285 million diabetics worldwide.

The group hopes to raise £10,000 to test a number of coping strategies with a group at a local weight loss clinic. They want to help obese individuals to adapt their lifestyle, lose weight, and prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes.

Sam Davies, director of Development and Alumni, said: "Public support will make sure this happens. The research staff are giving their time for free to reduce the costs for this project and encourage support because they feel this is an overlooked area of research which could have major benefits for society."

Health Matters

The university's new fundraising campaign, Health Matters, will help fund this research, a student support scheme and scholarships for students from Southern Africa.

The Students' Union's voluntary scheme Peer2pier empowers students who are finding it difficult to cope. A team encourages students to identify and address issues in the areas of physical, mental or spiritual wellbeing, and provides practical tips for healthy eating, coping with stress, sexual health, staying safe, stopping smoking and drug and alcohol awareness.

Students are trained to act as mentors to help other students integrate into university life by providing support and signposting all the services available to them.

The Southern African Scholarship Fund was set up by the Students' Union in 1987/88 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of Steve Biko, a political activist and former leader of the Southern African Students Association who died in police custody under the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Although apartheid ended in 1994, the effects on the black population of South Africa and its neighbouring countries are still felt. To help their development, the Southern African Scholarship Fund assists students on courses which directly benefit the wider community when they return home. To date, the fund has supported trainee teachers, engineers, doctors and nurses.

The scholarship recently supported medical students and nurses from Zambia who developed an intensive care course which they can teach at the Lusaka Nursing School to nurses from all over Zambia. The initiative will ensure that where there has been only one intensive care nurse in a country of nearly 12 million people, there will be nurses all over Zambia in future specialising in this area of nursing.

Donations

Mrs Davies, said: "All donations will be used to add value and not to replace core funding – in this way, we can promise to all donors that their donations will make a real difference to the experience of our students and to society as a whole

"All universities are charities, just like Water Aid or Cancer Research, and until 31 July all donations to us benefit not only from Gift Aid but also the government's matched-funding scheme – for every £2 donated to us the government will give us another £1."

To donate contact Tessa Gooding: 01273 641841 t.gooding2@brighton.ac.uk or donate online at: www.justgiving.com/universityofbrighton (please write the project you would like to support in the comments box).