Our research and advocacy work are funded through public and charitable research grants. This support enables us to advance scientific discovery using environmentally sustainable approaches, while working towards improved outcomes for people living with congenital hyperinsulinism.
In the interest of transparency, a list of all CHI-related research grants awarded to members of the Exeter Centre for Hyperinsulinism Genetics is provided below.
Current Research Funding
University of Exeter, Student widening participation (WP) funding scheme. (2026)
Developing patient-facing materials for congenital hyperinsulinism. Lead supervisor, Prof Sarah Flanagan
South West Secure Data Environment (2026)
Data Accelerator Fund for Novel and Emerging Assets (DAFNEA). Awarded to Prof Beverley Shields, Prof Sarah Flanagan, Dr Jayne Houghton, Dr Kevin Colclough among others.
NIHR Exeter BRC Small Project Grant (2025-2026)
Detection of hyperinsulinism-causing low-level mosaic variants in the regulatory region of HK1 in FFPE pancreatic tissue using laser-capture microdissection. Awarded to Dr Jessica Hopkinson and Prof Sarah Flanagan
NIHR Exeter BRC Genetics and Genomics Placement Training Year Funding Award (2025-2026)
Discovering novel genetic causes of hyperinsulinism. Awarded to Dr Thomas Laver and Prof Sarah Flanagan
The Academy of Medical Sciences, Springboard Award (2024-2026)
Uncovering the contribution of copy number variants to disorders of insulin secretion. Awarded to Dr Thomas Laver
Wellcome Trust, Senior Research Fellowship (2022–2027)
Non-coding mutations in congenital hyperinsulinism: deciphering the role of gene dysregulation in human disease. Awarded to Prof Sarah Flanagan
Recent Environmental Sustainability Funding
University of Exeter, Advancing Sustainability Initiatives (ASI) Fund (2025)
Cold storage upgrade. Funding for a -20 C freezer and racking system to replace a freezer which ran at -30 C. Awarded to Dr Jessica Hopkinson as part of RILD LEAF team. See here for details.
University of Exeter, Advancing Sustainability Initiatives (ASI) Fund (2025)
Freezer Defrosting Vacuum. Piloting new equipment that targets a 30–50% reduction in electricity use through improved storage and maintenance practices. Awarded to Dr Jessica Hopkinson as part of RILD LEAF team. See here for details.
University of Exeter, Advancing Sustainability Initiatives (ASI) Fund (2025)
Lab Plastic Recycling. Funding for equipment to start up lab plastic recycling, diverting plastic waste from clinical disposal into recycling streams. Awarded to Dr Jessica Hopkinson as part of RILD LEAF team. See here for details.
Previous Funding
NIHR Exeter BRC Summer Internship (2025)
A multiomics approach to explore low-level mosaic HK1 variants as a cause of congenital hyperinsulinism. Awarded to Dr Jasmin Bennett and Dr Jessica Hopkinson.
The Orphan Disease Center, Penn Medicine, Million Dollar Bike Ride Grant Program (2023-2024)
Implementing detection of low-level mosaic variants from blood samples in hyperinsulinism to improve diagnosis. Awarded to Prof Sarah Flanagan, Dr Tom Laver and Dr Matthew Johnson
The European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology, Research Fellowship (2023-2024)
Identifying new genetic mechanisms of congenital hyperinsulinism with whole-genome sequencing. Awarded to Dr Jonna Männistö. Lead Supervisor, Prof Sarah Flanagan
University of Exeter, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science Pump Priming (2023)
Establishing the Exeter Monogenic Epigenomic Resource. Awarded to Dr Thomas Laver and Prof Sarah Flanagan
University of Exeter, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science Pump Priming (2023)
Investigating the impact of a beta-cell disallowed gene, SLC16A1, on beta-cell metabolism and insulin secretion. Awarded to Dr Jessica Hopkinson and Prof Sarah Flanagan
University of Exeter, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science Pump Priming (2023)
Establishing if a novel genetic cause of exercise-induced hyperinsulinism is a founder variant in the Irish population. Awarded to Dr Jasmin Hopkins and Prof Sarah Flanagan
NIHR Exeter BRC Genetics and Genomics Capacity Building Fund (2023)
Expanding the Exeter Monogenic Epigenomic Resource. Awarded to Prof Sarah Flanagan and Prof Emma Dempster
The Translational Research Exchange @ Exeter (TREE) Undergraduate Summer Internship (2022)
Investigating the role of copy number variants as a cause of congenital hyperinsulinism. Awarded to Dr Thomas Laver and Dr Sarah Flanagan
The Translational Research Exchange @ Exeter (TREE) Research restart grant (2022)
Investigating the role of polygenic risk in congenital hyperinsulinism. Awarded to Dr Thomas Laver and Dr Sarah Flanagan
Oxford Nanopore Mini-Grant, MRC Clinical Research Infrastructure funding (MRC Grant: MR/M008924/1) (2020)
Investigating the cause of Hyperinsulinism in a syndrome affecting DNA methylation. Awarded to Dr Sarah Flanagan
Oxford Nanopore Mini-Grant, MRC Clinical Research Infrastructure funding (MRC Grant: MR/M008924/1) (2020)
Discovering the molecular basis of how hyperinsulinism results in Turner syndrome. Awarded to Dr Thomas Laver and Dr Sarah Flanagan
Northcott Devon Medical Foundation (2019-2020)
Using state-of-the-art technology to discover novel genetic mechanisms of insulin secretion. Awarded to Dr Thomas Laver and Dr Sarah Flanagan
Wellcome Trust/Royal Society, Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (2015-2022)
Applying the power of genetics to increase knowledge of underlying mechanisms of recessively inherited congenital hyperinsulinism. Awarded to Dr Sarah Flanagan
Marjorie Geoffrey Jones Charitable Trust (2011)
Identifying novel genetic causes of congenital hyperinsulinism and later onset diabetes. Awarded to Dr Sarah Flanagan
Diabetes UK, Equipment Grant (2011)
Liquid handling robot for studies defining novel genetic causes of neonatal diabetes and hyperinsulinism. Developing patient-facing materials for Congenital Hyperinsulinism. Awarded to Dr Sarah Flanagan and Prof Sian Ellard.
Genetics Society Heredity Fieldwork Grant (2008)
Secondment to the University of Oxford, Dame Prof Frances Ashcroft’s Laboratory. Awarded to Dr Sarah Flanagan