Diabetes Insights - Breakthroughs and Innovators

Watch the video on YouTube to see EASD TV host speak with Prof. Kei Sakamoto, 12th recipient of the EASD - Novo Nordisk Foundation Diabetes Prize for Excellence, about his research into exercise, glucose uptake and insulin signalling.

The conversation explores how exercise stimulates glucose uptake in muscle, including the role of LKB1 and AMPK in pathways that function independently of insulin. Prof. Sakamoto discusses how understanding these mechanisms could inform new treatment approaches, particularly for people who cannot exercise as much as they would like, and why carefully targeting specific molecules and tissues is important.

He also reflects on the complexity of diabetes, the challenges of developing treatments that maintain the body's metabolic balance, and the importance of fundamental research in paving the way for future discoveries.

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Watch the full video on YouTube. EASD TV host, Vivienne Parry speaks with Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, this year's Claude Bernard Prize Lecture recipient, about her remarkable career in type 1 diabetes research and the evolution of our understanding of the disease.

The conversation traces the journey from early research into the autoimmune nature of type 1 diabetes to pioneering birth cohort studies that revealed how early the disease process can begin. Prof. Ziegler discusses the importance of early detection and screening, the development of approaches to identify people at risk, and the emergence of treatments that can delay progression to clinical type 1 diabetes.

She also reflects on research into possible environmental modifiers, the questions that remain around disease progression, and her long-standing ambition to contribute to the prevention of type 1 diabetes. Finally, Prof. Ziegler discusses the teams, families and research participants who have been central to this work throughout her career.

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The EASD's first clinical practice guideline has now been published, focusing on the assessment and management of diabetes distress in adults living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube to learn about the very first EASD evidence-based clinical practice guideline for assessing and managing diabetes distress among adults with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes and how it marks a major shift toward recognising the emotional and psychological burden of living with diabetes. Drawing on two years of multidisciplinary work, the guideline was jointly developed by clinicians, methodologists, psychologists and people with lived experience.

Hear how the panel explains the definition of diabetes distress, the evidence gaps, the role of assessment tools, psychological interventions, and how healthcare systems can better support people living with diabetes.

📖 Read the full guideline: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-026-06840-0

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Watch the full video on YoutTube. EASD TV host, Vivienne Parry is joined by Bastian Hauck and Renza Scibilia from the Diabetes Online Community (DOC) to discuss some of the most pressing topics facing people living with type 1 diabetes.

The conversation explores the growing interest in emerging therapies - including the off-label use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in type 1 diabetes - the rapid evolution of continuous glucose monitoring technologies, responsible stewardship of health data, and the ongoing global effort to end diabetes stigma.

Central to the discussion is the importance of ensuring that people with lived experience are involved in shaping research, innovation and healthcare policy. As Bastian reminds us throughout the episode, meaningful progress begins with one simple principle: "Nothing about us without us."

This episode is dedicated to the memory of our friend and colleague, Bastian Hauck, whose passion for patient advocacy and unwavering commitment to ensuring that people living with diabetes always had a voice continue to inspire the global diabetes community.

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Watch the full video on YouTube. Does exercising in the morning, afternoon or evening make a difference for metabolic health?

In this episode, Dr Jeroen van der Velde discusses the latest evidence on exercise timing and type 2 diabetes, exploring how circadian rhythms influence glucose metabolism and why later-day exercise may offer additional benefits for glycaemic control.

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In this episode, Elizabeth Robertson (Diabetes UK) and Rachel Connor (Breakthrough T1D) discuss one of the most exciting developments in diabetes research: the growing possibility of delaying and ultimately preventing type 1 diabetes.

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Watch the full video on YouTube. In this episode, Vivienne Parry speaks with former EASD President Prof. Stefano Del Prato about leading the Association through the COVID-19 pandemic and how one of the most challenging periods in EASD's history became a catalyst for lasting change.

Discover how the rapid transition to a virtual Annual Meeting expanded EASD's global reach, inspired the creation of the Global Council and strengthened international collaboration across the diabetes community.

Prof. Del Prato also reflects on the importance of in-person scientific meetings, the continued evolution of the EASD Annual Meeting and the innovations that are shaping its future.

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Watch the full video on YouTube. In this episode, Vivienne Parry is joined by Prof. João Filipe Raposo (Portugal) and Prof. Harald Sourij (Austria) for a lively discussion on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in diabetes care.

Discover how AI is already supporting diabetes management through automated insulin delivery systems, continuous glucose monitoring and personalised risk prediction, while also exploring the evidence still needed before wider implementation in routine clinical practice.

The discussion also covers data privacy, regulation, patient trust and why human expertise and shared decision-making remain essential as AI becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare.

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Watch the full video on YouTube. In this episode of Diabetes Insights, Vivienne Parry speaks with Prof. Daisuke Yabe (Kyoto University) about why EASD has become one of the world's leading forums for diabetes research and collaboration.

The discussion explores how differences in diabetes phenotypes between Europe and East Asia are helping researchers better understand the disease, improve treatments and develop new scientific collaborations across continents.

Professor Yabe also discusses the exciting progress being made in regenerative medicine, including clinical trials using iPS cell-derived islet cells for people living with type 1 diabetes. He explains how this approach could help overcome donor shortages and bring scalable cell therapies closer to clinical practice.

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Watch the full video on YouTube. In this episode of Diabetes Insights, Prof. Thomas Karagiannis and Dr Francesco Zaccardi explain the rigorous methodology behind the first EASD clinical guidelines and why robust evidence-based processes are essential for producing trustworthy recommendations.

Discover how guideline development panels are assembled, how conflicts of interest are managed, and why patient perspectives are incorporated alongside scientific evidence. The discussion also explores the first EASD guideline on diabetes distress, future guidance on continuous glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes, and prevention strategies for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes..

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