The Named Lectures form a central feature of our conference and provide a platform from which to disseminate information about recent developments in research and progressive thinking about diabetes care. The awards are named in honour of notable figures in diabetes care, but they are not restricted to their namesake’s profession or speciality.
We will be awarding the Arnold Bloom, RD Lawrence, Mary MacKinnon and Harry Keen Rank Nutrition Lectures only, at our 2026 Diabetes UK Professional Conference.
Arnold Bloom Named Lecture
Professor Partha Kar, Type 1 Diabetes & Technology Lead at NHS England and Consultant in Diabetes, Endocrinology and General Medicine at Portsmouth, will deliver the Arnold Bloom Lecture, titled “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
This lecture is awarded to anyone who has made significant improvements through system change to the delivery of care for people living with or affected by diabetes. Their work is guided by or informed by patient experience, is patient-centred and demonstrates a holistic approach to care. The impact of their work has a national reach.
The award is in honour of Arnold Bloom (1915–1992), a celebrated and well-loved clinician who placed the care of patients at the centre of his work, understanding and valuing the patient’s perspective. His work studying the differences in patient responses to insulin and drug therapies helped pave the way for the diabetes classifications we use today. He delivered the 33rd Banting Memorial Lecture for his pioneering work developing a UK register of all newly diagnosed children with type 1 diabetes, giving us the first insights into potential triggers that are still being researched today.
RD Lawrence Named Lecture
Professor Sarah Finer, Professor of Clinical Diabetes at Queen Mary University of London and Honorary Consultant Diabetologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, will deliver the RD Lawrence Lecture, “From participation to discovery: What happens when diabetes research includes the people previously excluded.”
The RD Lawrence Lecture is awarded to an early-career professional conducting pioneering basic or clinical research that has the potential to lead to significant improvements in the treatment, care or wellbeing of people affected by or living with diabetes. Their work should show evidence of patient involvement. Ideally, the lecturer will be working within the first ten to twenty years of their research career. Allowance is given to applicants who have taken a non-standard career pathway and whose career has been subject to a late start or interruption for family or personal reasons.
The award is now in its 54th year and honours Robert Daniel Lawrence (1892–1968), Scottish co-founder of Diabetes UK. RD Lawrence led the creation of one of the earliest and largest diabetes clinics in the UK and pioneered research into aspects of diabetes management we use today, including the role of diet and exercise. He recognised the importance of patient engagement in research, education and welfare; values he brought to the Diabetes Association (now Diabetes UK), which he co-founded in 1934 with H.G. Wells.
Mary MacKinnon Named Lecture
Professor Samuel Seidu, Professor in Primary Care Diabetes and Cardio-Metabolic Medicine and GP Partner at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, will give the Mary MacKinnon Lecture, “Transforming diabetes and cardiometabolic care: Person-centred innovation across the life course.”
This lecture is awarded to a diabetes team or an individual who has worked collaboratively across healthcare teams to provide integrated, person-centred care in the community. Their work has enabled and empowered people to engage with and better manage their diabetes and has been informed by patient views and perspectives.
This award is in honour of Mary MacKinnon who passed away in 2013, a nurse and lecturer who specialised in practice and diabetes nursing. Mary was dedicated to the care and education of people with diabetes and those close to them and worked locally, nationally and internationally to this end. She promoted professional education in diabetes and the inclusion of primary healthcare providers in local integrated diabetes teams with personal support provided by specialist teams. Mary was committed to the philosophy of 'whole person care', which enables people with diabetes to manage their condition, to be the key member of their own healthcare team and to be included and involved in the planning of local diabetes services.
Harry Keen Rank Nutrition Lecture
Claire Meek, Senior Clinical Research Associate at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, will present the Harry Keen Rank Nutrition Lecture, “Carbs or Cals? Advancing the nutritional management of diabetes in pregnancy.”
The lecture is specifically focused on nutrition and is awarded to an individual conducting lab-based or clinical research in this area. Their innovative work has led, or has the potential to lead, to improvements in the health, care or wellbeing of people living with or affected by diabetes.
This lecture is kindly funded by the Rank Prize Funds in memory of Professor Harry Keen who sadly passed away in 2013. Professor Keen, who sat on the Rank Prize Funds Committee for over 22 years, was a physician and epidemiologist who did much to shape the modern understanding of diabetes and its treatment.
Professor Jonathan Valabhji, Clinical Chair in Medicine; Honorary Consultant Diabetologist, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, Imperial College London.Professor Ines Barroso, Professor of Diabetes, University of Exeter Medical SchoolMs Jayne Robbie, Senior Podiatrist/Senior Lecturer, Birmingham City University.
Our Named Lectures give you an exclusive insight into the latest research and understanding of diabetes treatment and care.
Awarded through a competitive process, they are our keynote lectures, forming an integral component of the conference programme. They provided a platform to share recent developments in research and progressive thinking about diabetes care and recognised the lecturer's outstanding contribution to the field.
Banting Memorial Lecture
Professor Jonathan Valabhji, Clinical Chair in Medicine; Honorary Consultant Diabetologist, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, 'Aligning clinical practice, policy and research'. Professor Valabhji described his personal, clinical, leadership and academic journeys and his work in the field of diabetes, including that related to the latest epidemiological transition to multiple long-term conditions.
Dorothy Hodgkin Lecture
Professor Ines Barroso, Professor of Diabetes, University of Exeter Medical School, 'Diabetes: from genetic discovery to impact for patients.' Professor Barroso shared her research journey and how her genetics expertise helped answer crucial questions for people living with diabetes.
Janet Kinson Lecture
Ms Jayne Robbie, Senior Podiatrist/Senior Lecturer, Birmingham City University, 'ACT NOW before it’s too late!' The lecture presented the development of the IDEAL Diabetes ACT NOW resources, from their inception just before the Covid-19 pandemic to the outcome of a national trial in primary and secondary care.
FAQs
How long are the Named Lectures?
The Named Lectures are 40 minutes long.
How are the Named Lectures awarded?
All applications and nominations will be reviewed by a panel of judges drawn from various Diabetes UK professional groups.
When will I know if I have been awarded a Named Lecture?
For the Named Lectures 2026, awardees will be announced by Mid-December.
What do I receive if I am awarded a Named Lecture?
All selected lecturers will receive complimentary accommodation, registration and travel (as per the expenses policy) for the conference as well as a small honorarium. Please note that the honorarium will be reimbursed upon publication of a lecture review article in Diabetic Medicine or Practical Diabetes.
Where are articles based on the Named Lectures published?
Named Lectures will be published in either Practical Diabetes or Diabetic Medicine.
Will the Named Lectures be delivered online or in-person?
Named Lectures will be delivered in-person at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference, 22 to 24 April 2026, Exhibition Centre Liverpool. More details can be found here.
