Roy Taylor qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and is Professor of Medicine at Newcastle University. He founded the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre in 2006 to develop innovative research techniques. Using these new methods, he showed that his 2008 Twin Cycle Hypothesis of the aetiology of type 2 diabetes could be proven in clinical practice.

Type 2 diabetes is a reversible condition of excess fat within liver and pancreas. This has led to widespread practical application including in the NHS with the national ‘NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission’ programme. Between 1985 and 2002 he developed and validated the method of screening for diabetic retinopathy and established the profession of retinal screeners with recognised training and qualification.

He has published books in lay language explaining type 2 diabetes (e.g. ‘Life Without Diabetes’) and books on retinal screening (e.g. ‘Handbook of Retinal Screening in Diabetes’). He was awarded an MBE in 2023. His work has been recognised by the 2012 Banting lecture of Diabetes UK, the 2024 International Rank Nutrition Prize and the 2024 Claude Bernard Prize lecture of EASD.

Debbie is CEO and clinical lead at MWDH. She is a qualified consultant diabetologist and senior academic (University of Edinburgh – MBChB (Hons), BSc, PhD, Clin Ed Dip), a 2017–18 NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellow and one of nine 2019 UK Women in Innovation award winners.

Debbie is a national leader in diabetes artificial intelligence and an international leader in diabetes education. Previously, she was a health columnist for a national UK newspaper and TV doctor/presenter for STV. She has trained in business development through the Boston MIT Entrepreneurship programme, the Unlocking Ambition and Converge Challenge initiatives, and the University of Edinburgh AI Accelerator and has delivered more than £5m in innovation funding.

Debbie has led MWDH since 2017, delivering a high-growth globally operating company with a best-in-class diabetes platform.

Alex is a Diabetes Consultant and was the Clinical Lead in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Yeovil District Hospital for many years, driving a process of modernisation from delivering general diabetes care to delivering high quality specialist care.

He was also a core member of the diverse stakeholder team who designed and implemented an integrated Diabetes Service for Somerset, aiming to put specialist knowledge at the fingertips of people with diabetes.

Alex’s specialist interests include technology in diabetes, supporting young people with diabetes as they transition from children’s to adult services and cardiovascular disease prevention, with a focus on lipids (blood fats).