Australian Foundation for Diabetes Research

The Australian Foundation for Diabetes Research:

(a) supports the development of a therapy that will allow the growing number of insulin-dependent Australians to cease having to inject insulin multiple times each day of their lives; 

(b) helps educate the wider community about the development of therapies to overcome the need for insulin for many young people with diabetes 

Provide seed funding to assist diabetes research both within the laboratory and the clinic

• Assist in the development of a cell therapy for type 1 diabetes
• Give access to human embryonic stem cell lines
• Help in purchase of research equipment
• Facilitate teaching of stem cell usage
• Train researchers in bioengineering and other techniques 
• Support employment of Post-doctoral fellows
• Provide travel funds to support the further training of researchers and visiting Research Fellows
• Provide scholarship to PhD students
   

• Diabetes Transplant Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital & University of New South Wales.  2002-9
• Diabetes Research Unit, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, University of Western Australia. 2009-11
• Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization. 2010-4 
• The University of Sydney. 2015 – 2019
• The University of Technology Sydney. 2020-
• Queensland University of Technology. 2020-

At University of Technology Sydney

1. Studies in diabetic mice that are implanted with human insulin-producing cells seeded in a bioengineered device to determine if blood sugar levels can be normalized. Chief investigator- A/Prof. Hui Chen.  This is a prelude to a clinical trial using such cells in a device that overcomes the need for giving patients anti-rejection drugs.

2. Use of nanoparticles to cause local regulated release of immunomodulatory molecules, which may be of assistance in enhancing cell therapies for diabetes. Supported by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Chief investigator- Dr. Helen Xu.

Professor Bernard Tuch

Mr Steven Nemes

Professor Geoffrey Symonds

Dr John Gallo

This is handled by Director of the Foundation, Mr Steven Nemes, of Harris Freidman Lawyers – snemes@hflawyers.com.au

These are tax deductible