Dr Audrey Kong Awarded an ACADI PhD Grant
We are proud to announce that our PhD candidate Dr Audrey Kong has been awarded a PhD research grant from The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI), as part of the recent ACADI Partnering Summit.
These highly competitive grants recognise exceptional early career researchers who are driving innovation and impact across diabetes care. Dr Kong’s work will be instrumental in shaping the future of diabetes care, and we look forward to seeing the incredible contributions her research will make to the lives of Australian’s with diabetes.
Audrey’s PhD research centers around the investigation of the safety and feasibility of using SGLT2 inhibitors therapeutically in type 1 diabetes. While SGLT2 inhibitors have a long history of therapeutic application in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, taking these medications can increase the risk of diabetic keto-acidosis (DKA) in people with type 1 diabetes. This is a potentially life threatening complication caused by the body using fat as a source of energy during hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Ketones are produced as a byproduct of burning fat to make energy, which makes the blood acidic and can cause life-threatening complications for multiple organ systems. While SGLT2 inhibitors can be used to regulate blood sugar, taking this medication can increase the risk of DKA in people with type 1 diabetes.
Audrey’s research aims to combat the increased risk of DKA in individuals with type 1 diabetes taking SGLT2 inhibitors by using continuous ketone sensors to monitor ketone levels 24 hours a day, allowing individuals to monitor their ketone levels in real time. This can help identify and prevent potential DKA as it happens, allowing individuals and their healthcare providers to intervene before DKA occurs.
Dr Audrey Kong Awarded an ACADI PhD Grant
We are proud to announce that our PhD candidate Dr Audrey Kong has been awarded a PhD research grant from The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI), as part of the recent ACADI Partnering Summit.
These highly competitive grants recognise exceptional early career researchers who are driving innovation and impact across diabetes care. Dr Kong’s work will be instrumental in shaping the future of diabetes care, and we look forward to seeing the incredible contributions her research will make to the lives of Australian’s with diabetes.
Audrey’s PhD research centers around the investigation of the safety and feasibility of using SGLT2 inhibitors therapeutically in type 1 diabetes. While SGLT2 inhibitors have a long history of therapeutic application in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, taking these medications can increase the risk of diabetic keto-acidosis (DKA) in people with type 1 diabetes. This is a potentially life threatening complication caused by the body using fat as a source of energy during hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Ketones are produced as a byproduct of burning fat to make energy, which makes the blood acidic and can cause life-threatening complications for multiple organ systems. While SGLT2 inhibitors can be used to regulate blood sugar, taking this medication can increase the risk of DKA in people with type 1 diabetes.
Audrey’s research aims to combat the increased risk of DKA in individuals with type 1 diabetes taking SGLT2 inhibitors by using continuous ketone sensors to monitor ketone levels 24 hours a day, allowing individuals to monitor their ketone levels in real time. This can help identify and prevent potential DKA as it happens, allowing individuals and their healthcare providers to intervene before DKA occurs.