Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of medical research in collaboration with The Royal Melbourne Hospital is one of twenty-two type 1 diabetes TrialNet international clinical centers at the forefront of type 1 diabetes research. Led by Dr Peter Colman and Dr John Wentworth the TrialNet team at WEHI/RMH is dedicated to preventing type 1 diabetes and stopping disease progression by preserving insulin production before and after diagnosis.

Our Team

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Dr. John Wentworth

John Wentworth attended University of Queensland Medical School and worked as a junior doctor at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital. He then traveled to Cambridge to undertake medical research before returning in 1999 to complete clinical training in Sydney and Melbourne. He joined TrialNet in 2012 and together with Peter Colman oversees TrialNet activities in Australia and New Zealand. John is a visiting endocrinologist at Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, and is a senior researcher at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, where he performs laboratory research to better understand why diabetes develops and how best to treat it.

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Dr. Peter Colman

Peter Colman graduated in medicine from Monash University and trained in Diabetes/Endocrinology at Royal Melbourne Hospital. His MD studies were in autoimmunity of type 1 diabetes with Professor Len Harrison at Melbourne University and he then worked with Professor George Eisenbarth at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. He currently heads the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Royal Melbourne Hospital where he is involved in clinical care of people with diabetes. He has been a TrialNet Investigator since its inception and also runs a Diabetes Clinical Research Unit at Royal Melbourne Hospital investigating new treatments for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

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Cecilia Hsieh, BSc(Hons)

Scientist

Cecilia Hsieh graduated from the University of Melbourne in Science and has worked at all the three Royals – Royal Women’s Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital. Her longest working history was at RMH for 29 years, gaining experience in the Endocrine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology Laboratory and Pathology Laboratory Information System. She worked with Prof Len Harrison and Prof Peter Colman in the Endocrine Laboratory over 20 years ago. After taking on a position as a manager of Specimen Reception at the Children’s Hospital in 2014, an opportunity came up to work back in the Endocrine laboratory in 2016 with Peter Colman. Her main role in the laboratory is to process samples for the TrialNet studies.

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Felicity Healy

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Leanne Redl

Regional Affiliates

Affiliates provide opportunities for people who do not live near a TrialNet Clinical Center. The affiliate sites listed below work with Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the Royal Melbourne Hospital to offer convenient participation in our research programs

Wellington Hospital
Level 5, Grace Neill Block, Riddiford St, Newtown Wellington, 6021 New Zealand
Dunedin Hospital
Endocrinology Research Office, Room 932, 201 Great King Street, 9th Floor Dunedin, 9016 New Zealand
Campbelltown Hospital
Therry Rd Sydney, 2560 Australia
Westmead Hospital
Crn Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St Sydney, 2145 Australia
The Aim Centre
Level 1, 41 Llewellyn St Newcastle, 2291 Australia
The Liggins Institute
85 Park Rd, Grafton Auckland, 1023 New Zealand

Research Studies

Prevention Study ATG Prevention Study (STOP-T1D)

TrialNet is testing a low dose of the immunotherapy drug anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) to see if it can delay or prevent type 1 diabetes (T1D) in people ages 6 to 34 who have a 50% risk of clinical diagnosis (Stage 3) within 2 years. Risk is defined by having two or more autoantibodies and abnormal blood sugar (Stage 2), plus at least one high-risk marker (based on test results). In an earlier TrialNet study for people newly diagnosed with T1D, low-dose ATG preserved insulin production and improved blood sugar control for 2 years. Details

Long Term Long-Term Follow-up

If you are diagnosed with T1D while participating in one of our prevention studies, we’re still here for you. You can continue to receive personal monitoring while helping us learn more. More

Newly Diagnosed Rituximab-pvvr / Abatacept Newly Diagnosed Study (T1D RELAY)

TrialNet is testing rituximab-pvvr and abatacept in people (ages 8-45) who were newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to learn if using both treatments, one after the other, maintains the body’s ability to make insulin. By adding abatacept after rituximab-pvvr, researchers predict more people will experience prolonged beta cell function during and possibly after treatment. Details