Sarah Flanagan

Professor Sarah Flanagan leads the monogenic diabetes research programme in Exeter where she is also the departmental co-lead for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Health research. She has published >265 papers on monogenic disorders of insulin secretion, has delivered over 50 invited lectures around the world, has received multiple highly prestigious international research prizes in recognition of her contributions to diabetes, metabolism and genetics. Her research findings have been included in international guidelines on the diagnosis and management of insulin secretion disorders. These include the European Association for the Study of Diabetes-SGGD Rising Star award 2015, the GB Morgagni Award 2018, the Genetics Society Balfour Lecture 2019, the 2023 Be My Sugar Top Researcher award and the 2025 Starling Medal.

Her current research focuses on gene discovery in congenital hyperinsulinism to improve knowledge of gene regulation and the molecular pathways controlling insulin secretion. Using state-of-the-art technology, housed in a Gold LEAF accredited laboratory, her team aims to improve variant detection and interpretation of genetic variation and increase understanding of how the genotype impacts on clinical outcomes, including neurodevelopmental conditions, in children with congenital hyperinsulinism. Their overarching aim is to address clinically relevant questions which when answered can be rapidly translated into routine care to improve clinical management of congenital hyperinsulinism.

As a post-doctoral fellow Sarah spent time at the Wessex Regional Genetics laboratory learning molecular techniques to screen for methylation disorders and the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford, where under the supervision of Dame Professor Frances Ashcroft, she learnt how to perform electrophysiology studies to investigate K-ATP channel function.

Sarah has been working in the field of congenital hyperinsulinism since 2003. In 2015, Sarah was awarded a Wellcome Trust/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship which allowed her to develop a programme of research focussing on the genetics of Congenital Hyperinsulinism. In 2021, the award of a Wellcome Trust Senior Researcher Fellowship enabled her to continue this work. She was one of 20 female academics to participate in the first SUSTAIN Academy of Medical Sciences Leadership Programmes and was awarded a Personal Chair in 2023.

In 2018, her team partnered with Congenital Hyperinsulinism International and the NHS Genomics Laboratory to provide free genetic testing for any child born with the condition who is unable to access genetics through their own healthcare providers. This partnership has global impact, enabling over 1000 children from 63 countries around the world to receive genetic testing in Exeter leading to improved medical management of their condition. Further details regarding this partnership can be found on her team website,