JDRF mourns the loss of renowned researcher Professor David Dunger, FMedSci, a pioneer in type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and a trusted JDRF investigator, partner, reviewer, and collaborator.  

“The world has lost a brilliant mind and mentor in all things T1D”, said Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, “Professor Dunger’s seminal contributions over the decades spanned across the T1D disease continuum, from individuals at risk of the condition to the spectrum of people living with complications of diabetes” 

Professor Dunger’s work encompassed many different aspects of T1D research, greatly contributing to efforts in understanding the genetics behind T1D and which specific genes make a person more likely to develop T1D or its complications. These efforts have been critical in working towards preventing and developing treatments to manage T1D.  He also played a vital role in the development of artificial pancreas technologies, which have revolutionized how people with T1D manage their disease, and the AdDIT trial, which studied methods to prevent or delay long-term complications in adolescents with T1D who were at high risk for developing them.  

Recently, Professor Dunger played a leading role in the development of INNODIA, a public-private partnership of which JDRF is a founding member. The important work underway at INNODIA includes clinical trials testing numerous different therapies and their combinations to prevent and cure T1D using a “master protocol.” This protocol, developed by Professor Dunger and others, is an innovative way of speeding up clinical trials, accelerating the development of therapies for T1D.  

Everyone at JDRF will be thinking of Professor Dunger’s family during this difficult time and remembers his invaluable contributions to our mission.