The Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance has joined forces with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the world leader in funding research into finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes to help garner support from the Irish Diabetes Community for its ongoing diabetes research work and to initiate high quality Type 1 research in Ireland.

Funds raised will be used to support the current Type 1 diabetes research project “Diabetes – Genes, Autoimmunity and Prevention” (D-GAP) project which aims to identify and understand how and why Type 1 diabetes occurs by unraveling the connection between genes, the immune response and type 1 diabetes. If researchers can confirm this link, it will pave the way for further developments aimed at preventing or reversing Type 1 diabetes.

The partnership also plans to fund an Irish based high quality and innovative Type 1 research project in 2012 and funds earmarked by you for Type 1 research will be split equally between DGAP and the Irish based project.

Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance is currently funding a study which will identify the factors that influence diabetes management/self-care amongst young adults (aged 23-30) with Type 1 diabetes in Ireland. Young adults in this age range often want to improve their diabetes control, but struggle to do so;  identifying what factors hinder these young people from maintaining good diabetes control, will help diabetes teams to assist them in overcoming self-care barriers while promoting factors that enable them to achieve better control.

For more information on type 1 research check out  www.diabetesresearch.ie