Exeter College DPhil student to lead pioneering Type 1 diabetes research project
Exeter College student Rea Tresa (2023, DPhil Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics) has secured a Pump Priming Grant from the University of Oxford’s Bukhman Centre for Research Excellence in Type 1 Diabetes as Principal Investigator for a project to progress her DPhil research under the supervision of Exeter College Supernumerary Fellow, Professor Dame Molly Stevens. Being named Principal Investigator on a competitive research grant as a doctoral student is an exceptional achievement and reflects the quality and promise of her research.
Rea’s DPhil research and this project focus on developing β-cell-targeted immunomodulatory nanoparticles to enhance the survival and immune protection of transplanted insulin-producing cells. By integrating advanced biomaterials engineering, targeted drug delivery, and cell biology, the project aims to address two of the principal barriers to successful cell replacement therapies: poor graft survival and immune rejection.
The research team includes Exeter College Supernumerary Fellow Professor Dame Molly Stevens, Professor David Hodson (University of Oxford, Green Templeton College), and Professor Rocio Sancho (King’s College London). The project is well-matched to the Bukhman Centre’s goal of supporting ambitious, early-stage research that aims to accelerate progress towards preventing, delaying, and ultimately curing Type 1 diabetes through cross-disciplinary collaborations.
As part of the Pump-Priming project, the researchers will use Single Particle Automated Raman Trapping Analysis (SPARTA®), a technology developed in the Stevens Group, to investigate how the structure of individual nanoparticles influences their biological performance. The findings will help guide the design of next-generation nanoparticle therapies while generating the pilot data needed to secure larger external funding and
support future clinical translation and commercialisation.
Exeter College congratulates Rea on securing this funding and wishes her and the wider research team every success with the project.