The Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Gastroenterology is a division of the School of Medical Sciences.

We are interested in major body systems and how they interact in biology and medicine. These include the endocrine, gastrointestinal, and circadian systems, as well as their roles in health and in metabolic and inflammatory diseases, notably diabetes, obesity, and liver fibrosis.

These are key current health issues and a unifying focus of much of our work, which also includes research strengths in molecular and cellular physiology, systems neuroscience, neurogastroenterology, and clinical nutrition.

Our research

Research within the Division is focused on the following areas.

Biological timing

All aspects of physiology and behaviour display pronounced daily variations due to a network of clocks throughout the brain and body.

Our research spans cellular, tissue, and integrative physiology to epidemiology, utilising the latest genetic techniques to monitor and manipulate clock function. This provides new understanding of how this clock network is controlled, its importance for health, and its relevance to major disease states.

The applications of this work are wide-ranging, opening up new possibilities for improving health and well-being across the general population and treating issues associated with disruption of circadian rhythms, from inflammatory and metabolic diseases to sleep disorders.

Our researchers

• Andrew Loudon
• Bea Bano Otalora
• David Bechtold
• Jean-Michel Fustin
• Julie Gibbs
• Karen Piper Hanley
• Louise Hunter
• Martin Rutter
• Timothy Brown
• Varinder Athwal

Biological timing is a significant area of activity within a number of our cross-cutting research themes to which Division researchers contribute.

Discover more about our biological timing research.

Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology

We have active research interests in endocrinology and energy metabolism examining fundamental cellular and neuronal control mechanisms that regulate pituitary hormone secretion, appetite, blood glucose levels, body weight and energy expenditure.

These research interests inform our understanding of metabolic disorders, their complications and potential therapies. Accordingly, our research employs a wide range of advanced molecular and functional techniques and encompasses cell biology, systems neuroscience, whole-animal physiology, human experimental medicine, and epidemiology.

Our researchers

• Andrew Boulton
• Anne White
• David Bechtold
• David Lyons
• Donald Ward
• Guiseppe D’agostino
• Jean-Michel Fustin
• Karen Piper Hanley
• Louise Hunter
• Martin Rutter
• Natalie Gardiner
• Neil Hanley
• Rachel Jennings
• Simon Luckman

Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Our research interests extend from understanding basic physiology and mechanisms of gut and liver health and disease to innovations in investigation and treatment. We adopt multidisciplinary approaches, ranging from basic model systems through to clinical studies and interventional trials.

In liver research, our primary focus lies in advancing early diagnosis of liver disease and identifying targetable pathways for new treatments. Our work takes fundamental molecular and cellular understanding of liver health and disease through to whole system physiology.

Translation to human is facilitated by our unique Manchester and north-west England research partnership projects. These are aimed at detecting liver disease early in the community setting (the ID LIVER project) and are aligned to public involvement for best practice (alongside VOCAL).

Our researchers:

• David Bechtold
• Elizabeth Mann
• Jean-Michel Fustin
• John Mclaughlin
• Julie Gibbs
• Karen Piper Hanley
• Louise Hunter
• Shaheen Hamdy

Liver disease and shared mechanisms linked to scarring (or fibrosis) is a major cross-cutting theme in the Faculty linked to the Centre for Cell-Matrix Research

Organ function, disease and regeneration

Our research interests include understanding the genetic control of organ development, molecular, immunological and physiological mechanisms of chronic disease and the use of stem cell platforms for regenerative medicine and toxicology screening. 

Our researchers:

• Elizabeth Mann
• Karen Piper Hanley
• Matthew Birket
• Neil Hanley
• Rachel Jennings

Head of Division

Professor Karen Piper Hanley

Division Research Lead

Professor Tim Brown

Our researchers

View list of researchers within the Division

Contact us

Email: [email protected]