Dr Nicholas Thomas
Academic Clinical Lecturer
N.J.M.Thomas2@exeter.ac.uk
RILD Building
University of Exeter Medical School, RILD Building, RD&E Hospital Wonford, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK
Overview
I am a diabetes physician and academic clinical lecturer in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Exeter. Type 1 diabetes is known to occur in adults but classically thought of as a disease of children and the majority of research is in this age group. My research is looking to improve understanding of type 1 diabetes presenting in adults.
During my PhD I undertook research looking to better describe the pathophysiology and clinical features of type 1 diabetes presenting in adults and showed this is both similar and different from when the disease presents in children. I am currently looking to understand how the disease first develops in adults and how we might identify adult cases before the onset of clinical symptoms. This work has taken on increasing relevance given the new emergence of disease modifying therapies for early type 1 diabetes.
Qualifications
2023 PHD: University of Exeter
2009 Batchelor of Medicine: University of Southampton
2008 Biomedical Sciences: University of Southampton
Research group links
Publications
Journal articles
Hopkins R, Young K, Thomas N, Godwin J, Raja D, Mateen B, Challen R, Vollmer S, Shields B, McGovern A, et al (In Press). Risk factor associations for severe Covid-19, influenza, and pneumonia in people with diabetes to inform future pandemic preparations: UK population-based cohort study. BMJ Open
Thomas NJ, Jones AG (2024). Comments on the notion of false positivity in measurements of autoantibodies. Reply to Grill V, Sørgjerd E, Hals I, Carlsson S [letter]. Diabetologia, 67(3), 569-570. Author URL.
Thomas NJ, Hill AV, Dayan CM, Oram RA, McDonald TJ, Shields BM, Jones AG, Simon G, Ramos A, Norris A, et al (2023). Age of Diagnosis Does Not Alter the Presentation or Progression of Robustly Defined Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 46(6), 1156-1163. Abstract.
Young KG, McGovern AP, Barroso I, Hattersley AT, Jones AG, Shields BM, Thomas NJ, Dennis JM (2023). HbA1c screening for the diagnosis of diabetes. Reply to Brož J, Brabec M, Krollová P et al [letter]. Diabetologia, 66(8), 1578-1579. Author URL.
Young KG, Hopkins R, Shields BM, Thomas NJ, McGovern AP, Dennis JM (2023). Recent UK type 2 diabetes treatment guidance represents a near whole population indication for SGLT2-inhibitor therapy. Abstract.
Thomas NJ, Jones AG (2023). The challenges of identifying and studying type 1 diabetes in adults. Diabetologia, 66(12), 2200-2212. Abstract. Author URL.
Thomas NJ, Walkey HC, Kaur A, Misra S, Oliver NS, Colclough K, Weedon MN, Johnston DG, Hattersley AT, Patel KA, et al (2023). The relationship between islet autoantibody status and the genetic risk of type 1 diabetes in adult-onset type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia, 66(2), 310-320. Abstract. Author URL.
Thomas NJ, McGovern A, Young KG, Sharp SA, Weedon MN, Hattersley AT, Dennis J, Jones AG (2022). Identifying type 1 and 2 diabetes in population level data: assessing the accuracy of published approaches. Abstract.
Mayne I, Thomas N, McGovern A (2022). Rapid, patient-led titration of basal insulin can be used to achieve tight glycaemic control in gestational diabetes mellitus with insulin resistance. BMJ Case Rep, 15(3). Abstract. Author URL.
Eason RJ, Thomas NJ, Hill AV, Knight BA, Carr A, Hattersley AT, McDonald TJ, Shields BM, Jones AG (2022). Routine islet autoantibody testing in clinically diagnosed adult-onset type 1 diabetes can help identify misclassification and guide successful insulin cessation. DIABETOLOGIA, 65(SUPPL 1), S153-S154. Author URL.
Young KG, McGovern AP, Barroso I, Hattersley AT, Jones AG, Shields BM, Thomas NJ, Dennis JM (2022). The impact of population-level HbA1c screening on reducing diabetes diagnostic delay in middle-aged adults: a UK Biobank analysis. Diabetologia, 66(2), 300-309. Abstract.
MAYNE IK, THOMAS N, HATTERSLEY AT, MCGOVERN AP (2021). 954-P: in Gestational Diabetes, Patient-Led Insulin Titration is Rapidly Effective without Detrimental Hypoglycaemia. Diabetes, 70(Supplement_1).
Thomas NJ, Dennis JM, Sharp SA, Kaur A, Misra S, Walkey HC, Johnston DG, Oliver NS, Hagopian WA, Weedon MN, et al (2021). Correction to: DR15-DQ6 remains dominantly protective against type 1 diabetes throughout the first five decades of life. Diabetologia, 65(1), 258-258.
Thomas NJ, Dennis JM, Sharp SA, Kaur A, Misra S, Walkey HC, Johnston DG, Oliver NS, Hagopian WA, Weedon MN, et al (2021). DR15-DQ6 remains dominantly protective against type 1 diabetes throughout the first five decades of life. Diabetologia, 64(10), 2258-2265. Abstract. Author URL.
Evans BD, Słowiński P, Hattersley AT, Jones SE, Sharp S, Kimmitt RA, Weedon MN, Oram RA, Tsaneva-Atanasova K, Thomas NJ, et al (2021). Estimating disease prevalence in large datasets using genetic risk scores. Nature Communications, 12(1). Abstract.
Mateen BA, Wilde H, Dennis JM, Duncan A, Thomas N, McGovern A, Denaxas S, Keeling M, Vollmer S (2021). Hospital bed capacity and usage across secondary healthcare providers in England during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive analysis. BMJ Open, 11(1), e042945-e042945. Abstract.
Bowman P, Mathews F, Barbetti F, Shepherd MH, Sanchez J, Piccini B, Beltrand J, Letourneau-Freiberg LR, Polak M, Greeley SAW, et al (2021). Long-term Follow-up of Glycemic and Neurological Outcomes in an International Series of Patients with Sulfonylurea-Treated ABCC8 Permanent Neonatal Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 44(1), 35-42. Abstract. Author URL.
Thomas NJ, Walkey HC, Kaur A, Misra S, Oliver NS, Colclough K, Weedon MN, Johnston DG, Hattersley AT, Patel KA, et al (2021). The absence of islet autoantibodies in clinically diagnosed older-adult onset type 1 diabetes suggests an alternative pathology, advocating for routine testing in this age group. Abstract.
McGovern AP, Thomas NJ, Vollmer SJ, Hattersley AT, Mateen BA, Dennis JM (2021). The disproportionate excess mortality risk of COVID-19 in younger people with diabetes warrants vaccination prioritisation. Diabetologia, 64(5), 1184-1186. Author URL.
Dennis JM, McGovern AP, Thomas NJ, Wilde H, Vollmer SJ, Mateen BA (2021). Trends in 28-Day Mortality of Critical Care Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the United Kingdom: a National Cohort Study, March 2020 to January 2021. Crit Care Med, 49(11), 1895-1900. Abstract. Author URL.
Sukcharoen K, Sharp SA, Thomas NJ, Kimmitt RA, Harrison J, Bingham C, Mozere M, Weedon MN, Tyrrell J, Barratt J, et al (2020). IgA Nephropathy Genetic Risk Score to Estimate the Prevalence of IgA Nephropathy in UK Biobank. Kidney International Reports, 5(10), 1643-1650. Abstract.
Jones AG, Shields BM, Dennis JM, Hattersley AT, McDonald TJ, Thomas NJ (2020). The challenge of diagnosing type 1 diabetes in older adults. Diabet Med, 37(10), 1781-1782. Author URL.
Dennis JM, Mateen BA, Sonabend R, Thomas NJ, Patel KA, Hattersley AT, Denaxas S, McGovern AP, Vollmer SJ (2020). Type 2 Diabetes and COVID-19–Related Mortality in the Critical Care Setting: a National Cohort Study in England, March–July 2020. Diabetes Care, 44(1), 50-57. Abstract.
PATEL KA, THOMAS N, WEEDON MN, WALKEY HC, KAUR A, WILLIAMS AJ, MISRA S, OLIVER N, JOHNSTON DG, HATTERSLEY AT, et al (2019). 1683-P: Analysis of Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Risk Score Shows 1 in 8 People with Clinically Diagnosed Adult-Onset T1D Are Misdiagnosed, and Presenting Features at Diagnosis Do Not Identify Those Misdiagnosed. Diabetes, 68(Supplement_1).
Bowman P, Sulen Å, Barbetti F, Beltrand J, Svalastoga P, Codner E, Tessmann EH, Juliusson PB, Skrivarhaug T, Pearson ER, et al (2018). Effectiveness and safety of long-term treatment with sulfonylureas in patients with neonatal diabetes due to KCNJ11 mutations: an international cohort study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 6(8), 637-646. Abstract. Author URL.
Thomas NJ, Jones SE, Weedon MN, Shields BM, Oram RA, Hattersley AT (2018). Frequency and phenotype of type 1 diabetes in the first six decades of life: a cross-sectional, genetically stratified survival analysis from UK Biobank. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 6(2), 122-129. Abstract. Author URL.
Thomas NJ, Jones SE, Weedon MN, Shields BM, Hattersley AT, Oram RA (2018). Genetic risk scores in adult-onset type 1 diabetes - Authors' reply. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 6(3). Author URL.
Thomas N, Glod J, Derse-Anthony C, Baple EL, Osborne N, Sturley R, Vaidya B, Newbold K, Brooke A (2018). Pregnancy on vandetanib in metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf), 88(5), 754-756. Author URL.
Thomas N, Grubb A, McDonald T, Hill A, Weedon M, Oram R, Hattersley A, Jones A (2018). Type 1 diabetes leading to severe insulin deficiency occurs after 30 years of age and is commonly treated as type 2 diabetes in clinical practice. DIABETOLOGIA, 61, S152-S152. Author URL.
Thomas N, Anaspure R, Vaidya B (2017). Bony changes in primary hyperparathyroidism. QJM, 110(12), 839-840. Author URL.
Benwell N, Hird K, Thomas N, Furness E, Fear M, Sweetman G (2017). Effectiveness and efficiency of training in digital healthcare packages: training doctors to use digital medical record keeping software. Aust Health Rev, 41(5), 479-484. Abstract. Author URL.
Babiker T, Vedovato N, Patel K, Thomas N, Finn R, Männikkö R, Chakera AJ, Flanagan SE, Shepherd MH, Ellard S, et al (2016). Successful transfer to sulfonylureas in KCNJ11 neonatal diabetes is determined by the mutation and duration of diabetes. Diabetologia, 59(6), 1162-1166. Abstract. Author URL.
Thomas NJ, Brooke AM, Besser GM (2013). Long-term maintenance of normoglycaemia using everolimus in a patient with disseminated insulinoma and severe hypoglycaemia. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf), 78(5), 799-800. Author URL.
Thomas N, Cross TJS (2012). Offering HIV testing in an acute medical admissions unit in Newcastle upon Tyne. Clin Med (Lond), 12(2). Author URL.
Thomas NJ, Shields BM, Besser REJ, Jones AG, Rawlingson A, Goodchild E, Leighton C, Bowman P, Shepherd M, Knight BA, et al (2012). The impact of gender on urine C-peptide creatinine ratio interpretation. Ann Clin Biochem, 49(Pt 4), 363-368. Abstract. Author URL.
Guha N, Dashwood A, Thomas NJ, Skingle AJ, Sönksen PH, Holt RIG (2009). IGF-I abuse in sport. Curr Drug Abuse Rev, 2(3), 263-272. Abstract. Author URL.
Conferences
Thomas NJM, Hill AV, Shields BM, McDonald TJ, Patel K, Jones AG (2023). Progressive loss of insulin secretion in adult-onset type 1 diabetes is not impacted by clinical features or genetic predisposition to type 1 diabetes. Author URL.
Thomas NJM, Besser REJ, Jones AG, McDonald TJ, Shields BM, Knight BA, Hattersley AT (2011). Simple and convenient alternatives to the mixed meal tolerance test. Author URL.
