Prestigious lecture focuses on Diabetes: a 'fitting tribute' to Dr Allam

Transforming mental well-being for people with diabetes is the focus of this year’s Allam lecture on Wednesday 31 May at Middleton Hall at the University of Hull.

The prestigious Allam Lecture series – which started in 2013 in celebration of the tenth anniversary of Hull York Medical School as a result of the generous support of Dr Assem Allam – has welcomed keynote speakers from some of the country's leading experts in biomedical research in recent years.

This year’s speaker Professor Richard Holt, Professor of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Southampton, and Honorary Consultant Physician in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, will discuss the link between diabetes and mental illness, the challenges of living with diabetes, and will advocate for a greater emphasis on psychosocial support for people with diabetes.

Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan (Sathya), Academic lead for diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism research in the Clinical Sciences Centre at Hull York Medical School and an Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The upcoming Allam lecture, which focuses on diabetes, serves as a fitting tribute to Dr Allam in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the Allam Diabetes Centre in Hull.

"Our commitment to upholding Assem’s legacy in the Centre is demonstrated by our dedication to delivering state-of-the-art research and clinical care of people with diabetes.

"He was a great friend and supporter of the University and he will be very much in my thoughts as we gather to listen to Professor Holt’s lecture."

Alyn Morice, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, and Head of the Hull Cough Clinic at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Dr Assem Allam was always striving for excellence. His ambition was to create centres of excellence both within the University and the Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust. He has achieved that by encouragement.

"I never met him without being uplifted by his constant striving to improve facilities for patients, teaching, and research. He was a visionary seeing the true value of creating a can-do spirit and engendering an esprit de corps.

"I was asked to organise an event to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hull York Medical School. I approached Assem and with typical enthusiasm he immediately agreed and arranged for Sir Magdi Yacoub, the world-renowned transplant surgeon, to be our first lecturer.

"The event has now grown and is a showcase for the research efforts which are putting Hull on the world stage. None of this would have been possible without Assem. We owe it to him to continue to strive for excellence."

In addition to this year's keynote lecture, attendees will have the opportunity to discover some of the ongoing research work currently being undertaken by Hull York Medical School and the wider Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Hull, and to submit questions to a panel of experts, including Professor Holt. The event starts at 1pm and lasts until approximately 6pm.

Professor Holt trained at the University of Cambridge and the London Hospital Medical College. His current research interests are broadly focused around clinical diabetes but specifically encompass studies of the relationship between mental illness and diabetes, and diabetes and pregnancy. His clinical responsibilities include the diabetes and pregnancy clinic, young adult diabetes clinic and the cystic fibrosis related diabetes service.

Professor Holt was the Editor-in-Chief of Diabetic Medicine (2016-2020) and is a past-Chair of the Council of Health Care Professionals of Diabetes UK. He was a member of the 2008 NICE diabetes and pregnancy guideline development group and the NICE Type 2 diabetes: preventing the progression from pre-diabetes programme development group. Professor Holt is the Editor-in-Chief of the 5th edition of the Textbook of Diabetes, and Chair of the EASD Committee for Clinical Affairs, and was the EASD co-chair of the EASD-ADA consensus report of the management of type 1 diabetes in adults.

For further information, please email Wayne Sheedy.

View the University of Hull’s tribute to Dr Allam.