We would like to congratulate Kolling Institute researcher Amanda Purcell who has received a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation scholarship.
Amanda is part of our Renal Research Laboratory, working to improve treatment for those with diabetes and kidney disease.
She has been awarded a top-up scholarship aimed at supporting PhD students pursuing type 1 diabetes research in line with the foundation’s mission to treat, prevent and cure the disease. The competitive scholarship selects the best and brightest scientists in the field to ensure the next generation of researchers can carry out their ground-breaking work.
Amanda has welcomed the news.
“The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation PhD scholarship represents an opportunity to create meaningful change and gives me the privilege to be part of a community dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people with type 1 diabetes,” she said.
“This support will give me the chance to attend conferences and workshops, helping me connect with experts in the field and share my research findings.”
Amanda will investigate a drug called Semaglutide to see if it can be used to treat diabetic kidney disease in those with type 1 diabetes and obesity. Type 1 diabetes often leads to complications, including diabetic kidney disease which can be life-threatening.
“Semaglutide is widely used in type 2 diabetes for weight loss and to improve how cells respond to insulin.
“It is also used to delay progression of diabetic kidney disease in those with type 2 diabetes, but it is not known whether it would have these same benefits in those with type 1 diabetes.
“Using a pre-clinical model, my project aims to determine if using Semaglutide for those with type 1 diabetes and obesity can improve kidney health.
“We hope the findings from this work will influence preventative care for diabetic kidney disease in people with type 1 diabetes and obesity.”
Dr Dorota Pawlak, Chief Scientific Officer, JDRF Australia said we are passionate about not only supporting well established scientists who are leading the field, but also the best early career researchers to foster the pipeline and to ensure breakthroughs continue to happen.
The scholarships allow PhD scholars to attend scientific conferences, present their findings and establish critical networks with both national and international researchers.