PhD Candidate at the Thorn Lab, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney

Professor Helen Thomas is head of the Immunology and Diabetes Unit at St Vincent’s Institute in Melbourne. Her research is focused on prevention of type 1 diabetes with the aim to protect the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas from being destroyed by the immune system.

Hayley is an Honours student in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney. She has majored in Anatomy and Histology and is currently investigating the role of a novel insulin secretory granule protein in the context of beta-cell function.

Ellen is a third year PhD candidate in Mater Research Institute - Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland (MRI-TRI, UQ) investigating Diabetic Kidney Disease

Belinda is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Islet Biology and Metabolism Laboratory at the Charles Perkins Centre. Her research aims to uncover the intricacies of the insulin secretory granule, and how insulin granule biogenesis and storage can influence beta-cell function in animals and humans.

Jingbo Li is a Ph.D. candidate of internal medicine, majoring in endocrinology and metabolism. She received her master’s and bachelor’s degree from the top innovative talents pilot class of School of Medicine, Southeast University. Her research focus on islet regeneration and tissue engineering.

Associate Professor Emma Hamilton-Williams’ career focuses on understanding how immune tolerance is disrupted leading to the development of type 1 diabetes. She received her PhD from the Australian National University followed by postdoctoral training in Germany and USA. In 2012 she started a laboratory at the University of Queensland where she investigates the gut microbiota as a potential trigger or therapy for type 1 diabetes, as well as developing new immunotherapies for type 1 diabetes. She is Chief Scientific Officer for the ENDIA pregnancy-birth cohort study, which aims to uncover the environmental drivers of type 1 diabetes.