Exeter academic to be first nurse to give prestigious lecture at Diabetes UK conference

Professor Maggie Shepherd, an Honorary Clinical Professor who specialises in monogenic diabetes, will present the Arnold Bloom lecture on 7th of March during Diabetes UK’s annual conference, a lecture previous only given by doctors or scientists.

Diabetes UK have awarded the lecture to Maggie for her contributions to clinical care in monogenic diabetes, including her role as leader of the national Genetic Diabetes Nurse (GDN) project, which supports healthcare professionals and patients by improving awareness of monogenic diabetes.

Maggie will theme her lecture on improving patient care in monogenic diabetes through research and education. Monogenic diabetes accounts for 3% of all diabetes diagnosed below the age of 30 years and is caused by a change in a single gene, inherited from an affected parent, but is often misdiagnosed as Type 1 or Type 2 leading to inappropriate treatment. She will address the beneficial impact of a correct, early diagnosis, the role of the GDNs and future challenges.

Commenting on the lecture, Maggie said; “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to be the first nurse to present this lecture. This is an amazing opportunity to share Exeter’s fantastic research, education and clinical care that we provide to support individuals and families with monogenic diabetes.”

The Arnold Bloom lecture is awarded to a healthcare professional working in diabetes care who has contributed significantly to improving the quality of clinical care for people with diabetes. Arnold Bloom was a diabetologist at Whittington Hospital, North London, and acted as Chairman of the Medical and Scientific Section of Diabetes UK.