Professor Simon Heller
School of Medicine and Population Health
Professor of Clinical Diabetes
+44 114 215 9009
Full contact details
School of Medicine and Population Health
Room EU38, E Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
葫芦影业
S10 2RX
- Profile
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For enquiries please contact - SMPH-West-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk
- Research interests
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Our groups interests concern clinical research, focussing on clinical investigation involving varied topics with the common theme of immediate relevance to patients with diabetes.
These include aspects of the pathophysiology of hypoglycaemia in diabetes, the contribution of hypoglycaemia to the increased risk of sudden death in young people with Type 1 diabetes (the 'dead in bed' syndrome), the clinical benefits of insulin analogues and trials of complex interventions to enable more effective self-management in people with diabetes.
Our observation that hypoglycaemia unawareness is caused by repeated episodes of hypoglycaemia has led to programmes of unawareness reversal and restoration of hypoglycaemic symptoms in patients with Type 1 diabetes.
Recent research on profound bradycardia during hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and ischaemic heart disease has commanded international attention (Chow et al, Diabetes 2014) and a collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry and our research group has led to recently published guidance to advise the FDA and other agencies of important issue when assessing cardiac electrophysical safety of therapeutic agents in diabetes (Heller et al Am Heart J 2015).
We were the principal investigators for the multi-centre DAFNE trial and lead a national programme of research exploring different facets of the DAFNE education programme.
This has directly led to funded roll-out of the approach by the Department of Health, an appraisal by NICE and recent NICE recommendations that training programmes be available to all patients throughout England and Wales. NIHR awarded a ?1.7m 5 year NIHR programme grant, using the DAFNE collaborative (with >30,000 UK trained adults with type 1 diabetes) as a research test-bed.
Following its successful completion (Heller et al, NIHR Journals Lib 2014), the NIHR has recently provided ?2..7m programme funding over 5.5 years to continue this work, which has led to improved diabetes care with national and international impact.
Other research has also explored the potential of technology to improve blood glucose control and reduce hypoglycaemia in diabetes and work with the pharmaceutical industry in evaluating the benefit of new insulins (Heller et al Diabetes Care 1999, Heller et al Lancet 2012) and participated in multi-centre trials evaluating technology (Little et al Diabetes Care 2014) and closed loop devices (Thabit et al Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2014). Designed and subsequently led the recently completed REPOSE Trial, a multi-centre.?2m HTA funded RCT conducted in England and Scotland, measuring the effectiveness of insulin pump therapy in adults with type 1 diabetes."
- Publications
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Featured publications
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Conference proceedings papers
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Preprints
- Grants
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National Institute of Health Research, Programme Grant October 2007-April 2013. Improving management of Type 1 diabetes in the UK: the DAFNE programme as a research test-bed. Principal
Investigator in collaboration with Dr J Lawton, Dr M Clarke, Ms G Thompson, Prof S Amiel, Prof M Campbell, Dr P Mansell, Dr I Lawrence, Ms C Taylor, Ms L Oliver (Chief Investigator) ?1.8m
Diabetes UK. Jan 2009-July 2013. KICk-OFF: A multi-centre, randomised controlled trial comparing intensive structured education with standard education in 11-16 year olds on intensive insulin therapy.
Dr K Price, Prof C Eiser Dr J Wales, Dr J Freeman (co-investigator) ?1.35m
Diabetes UK. April 2008-March 2011. Overnight hypoglycaemia prevention in adult subjects with type 1 diabetes: Closing the loop
Dr R Hovorka, Prof S Amiel Dr M Evans, (co-investigator) ?750k
Diabetes UK. Sep 2009-March 2012. Prevention of recurrent severe hypoglycaemia: a definitive RCT comparing optimised MDI and CSII with or without adjunctive real-time continuous glucose monitoring
Dr J Shaw, Prof D Kerr, Dr D Flanagan, Dr M Evans, Dr J Speight (co-investigator) ?1.4m
South Yorkshire Research Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care October 2008- September 2013 Diabetes Theme Adolescent Project to develop a structured training programme and other interventions to improve outcomes in young people with Type 1 diabetes aged 16-21years.
Prof C Eiser, Dr A Scott, (Chief Investigator) ?900k
Health Technology Assessment Grant. June 2011-Dec 2015 The REPOSE (Relative Effectiveness of Pumps Or Structured Education) Trial.
Prof N Waugh, Dr C Cooper, Prof M Campbell, Prof S Amiel, Dr P Hammond, Ms C Taylor, Dr R Lindsay, Dr J Lawton, Dr K Barnard, Dr M Evans, Dr F Green, Dr A Jaap, Ms C Taylor, Prof S Dixon, (Chief Investigator). ?2.0m
Health Technology Assessment Grant. 14/213/10 January 2016 – June 2017 A systematic review of psychological interventions to improve motivation for self-management in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Dr K Winkley, Prof Khalida Ismail, Prof A Brennan (co-investigator) ?176.74k
National Institute of Health Research, Programme Grant March 2016- September 2021. Developing and trialling the DAFNEplus (Dose for Adjustment for Normal Eating) intervention. A lifelong approach to promote effective self-management in adults with type 1 diabetes.
Chief Investigator in collaboration with Professor J Lawton, Professor S Michie, Ms G Thompson, Prof S Amiel, Prof M Campbell, Dr P Mansell, Dr D Hopkins, Ms C Taylor, Dr J Elliott, Mr S Fisher, Prof L Yardley, Prof A Brennan, Dr J Cohen, Dr D Cooke, Prof W Baird. (Chief Investigator) ?2.75m
- Professional activities and memberships
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Activities and Distinctions
- Diabetes UK Research Committee 2005 – 2015. Professional Advisory Council 2003-2008. Scientific and Research Advisory Group. 2009- present, Arnold Bloom Lecture, Diabetes UK, 2012
- Member of NICE/RCP working groups developing national guidelines for the management of adult Type 1 (2002) and Type 2 diabetes (2000).
- Deputy Chair Joint DoH/MRC Research Advisory Committee on Diabetes 2002
- Member of MRC College of Experts 2005-2009
- Acting Portfolio Director in Diabetes, Dept of Health, Sept – Dec 2004
- I chaired the Clinical Studies Advisory Group (2008-2014) and sit on the Management Committee of the UK Diabetes Clinical Research Network. I am currently the acting National Speciality Lead for Diabetes in the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
- NIHR Senior Investigator (since 2012)
- Regional Diabetes Specialty Lead, Yorks/Humber CRN, 2014 to present
- National Diabetes Speciality Lead, NIHR CRN, 2015 to present