John Petrie has a long-term interest in methods for improving diabetes control and reducing rates of complications e.g. as Chief Investigator of the international JDRF-funded REMOVAL trial, the longest and largest trial of metformin in type 1 diabetes to date. In relation to type 2 diabetes, he was a member of the Global Leadership Panel of the LEADER cardiovascular outcome trial with the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide (Victoza) and worked on the Phase 2 programme of its blockbluster successor semaglutide (Ozempic/ Ryblesus/ Wegovy). He currently serves on the joint Technology Committee of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the Expert Advisory Group on Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Renal, Respiratory and Allergy, Commission on Human Medicines (MHRA).
He has a number of leadership roles within Diabetes UK including as Chair of the Leadership Panel of the Diabetes Research Steering Groups and as a member of the Science and Research Advisory Group. He is Vice President of the European Group for the study of Insulin Resistance. He led the early development of the Scottish Diabetes Research Network (2005-2010) and is a former Associate Editor of Diabetologia (2011-2017). He has served on multiple national and international funding panels (Australia, Switzerland, Finland, USA) including five years on the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Efficacy and Mechanisms Evaluation panel, the last two years as Deputy Chair (2017-2022). He has recently joined the NIHR International Panel.
He is Director of the Glasgow Clinical Trials Unit which has a portfolio of 96 active studies in 19 therapeutic areas in partnership with 29 Sponsors - these include 22 Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products, 29 non-CTIMPs and 7 device trials. He has more than 30 years of experience in General (Internal) Medicine and Diabetes and continues to look after people with types 1 and 2 diabetes within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde at Stobhill Ambulatory Care Hospital, North Glasgow.