About Us
Opened in 2012, the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) is now the largest clinical research centre for diabetes in the UK and led by two of the top ten world-leading diabetes experts in Professors Melanie Davies and Kamlesh Khunti.
Professor Davies is a clinician and one of the UK’s leading clinical researchers. Together with Professor Khunti, a renowned expert in diabetes and public health, they co-lead the Diabetes Research Centre at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, which is one of the largest and most impactful clinical research groups in diabetes in the UK.
LDC is recognised globally for its empirical research and clinical trials as well as its work in ethnic health, real-world evidence and 24-hour physical behaviours.
LDC is also dedicated to the development, testing, and real-world implementation of education and training programmes for both healthcare professionals and people living with or at risk of diabetes and long-term health conditions. It has nurtured strong strategic partnerships across the NHS, academia, and industry.
The Centre is built on a core collaboration between the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) and the University of Leicester (UoL). LDC is a dedicated space that brings together NHS diabetes clinicians and researchers, along with academics from UoL Diabetes Research Centre.
Our History
Leicester has a strong tradition and reputation for excellence in diabetes care dating back over 60 years to the pioneering work of Doctor Joan Walker in the 1950s.
Dr Walker established the first community diabetes clinics and the first diabetes research nurses in the UK. She started work at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) as an honorary Physician during World War 2, taking care of people with diabetes. Today, Leicester also has the highest number of people with diabetes of any city in the UK.
Dr John Hearnshaw was Dr Walker’s successor at the LRI in 1967. He was influential in the care of both children and adults with diabetes. He presented a review of childhood diabetes in Leicester from 1930 onwards at a meeting of the International Diabetes Federation, which formed the basis of other prevalence studies.
This pioneering spirit is still at work in the Leicester Diabetes Centre. The original research department originated at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and was opened in 1996. At this time the main research work undertaken in the department was that of commercial drug trials.
Professor Davies began the diabetes research service in 2001 with one Nurse Research Fellow who was appointed to develop non-commercial clinical trials. This led to the success of the department’s first academic study looking into the combination of different oral agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Since then, Professor Davies and colleague Professor Khunti have developed a talented and diverse team of over 250 researchers, clinicians and educationalists working together on an innovative research portfolio of successful academic and commercial trials.
In March 2012, LDC became operational, hosted within the space of two clinical wards at the Leicester General Hospital. Following the expansion into a further two ward areas, which included the development of an exercise laboratory and state-of-the-art training facilities, the LDC was officially opened by Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave in November 2013.
Doctor Joan Walker
Our City: Leicester
Leicester, the home city of LDC, has a long-standing tradition and reputation for excellence in diabetes care, dating back more than 60 years. This legacy began with the pioneering work of Dr Joan Walker, which led to the establishment of the UK's first community diabetes clinic.
Today, Leicester is a vibrant and ethnically diverse city with a wealth of cultural and historical attractions. It is home to Leicester City Football Club, famously crowned Premier League champions in 2016. The city also hosts the National Space Centre, a hub for space research and education. In 2012, the remains of King Richard III—the last English monarch to be killed in battle—were discovered beneath a city car park and have since been reinterred at Leicester Cathedral.
Our Partners
