Matthew Webber receives American Diabetes Association’s Accelerator Award | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Matthew Webber receives American Diabetes Association’s Accelerator Award Matthew Webber receives American Diabetes Association’s Accelerator Award Published: February 19, 2019 Author: Jessica Sieff Matt Webber For parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, the threat of a hypoglycemic episode can keep them awake at night. Critically low blood glucose levels can lead to seizures, coma or death. With no warning of a sudden drop, some parents will wake up several times each night to check their child’s blood glucose level while they sleep. Sleep loss and stress can impact the parents’ own health and well-being — putting added strain on the whole family. The issue is central to a five-year research effort funded by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The ADA announced it will fund a $1.625 million Accelerator Award to Matthew Webber, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, to research and develop materials capable of sensing critical drops in blood glucose. Presently, dangerously low hypoglycemia is treated by injecting glucagon, a hormone that counteracts the function of insulin to raise blood glucose levels. This places the responsibility of noticing such an episode and responding in time directly onto diabetics and their caregivers. “There is a significant challenge to developing a synthetic form of glucagon that would remain in the body but be inactive until such a time as blood glucose levels become dangerously low, when it would become active,” said Webber. “This is something that has never been done before. Our team will explore different chemistries and methods for protein activation over the course of the study.” Research would focus on development of glucose-responsive glucagon. If successful, glucose-responsive glucagon could be administered to patients with Type 1 diabetes in a manner similar to an EpiPen before bed. Sensing a critical drop in blood glucose, the modified glucagon could be activated to restore normal glucose levels and alleviate the severe risks associated with hypoglycemia. “If we are successful, this new approach would act as an insurance policy, offering peace of mind to diabetic individuals and their caregivers.” Webber’s previous work includes developing synthetically modified insulin with glucose-modulated potency, capable of correcting blood glucose levels quickly to manage the disease more accurately. The Accelerator Awards are designed to support early-career investigators, and are part of a larger initiative by the American Diabetes Association known as the Pathway to Stop Diabetes, seeking to recruit investigators across disciplines in an effort to radically transform diabetes research.        Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu Posted In: Research Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 05, 2022 Astrophysicists find evidence for the presence of the first stars October 04, 2022 NIH awards $4 million grant to psychologists researching suicide prevention September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 22, 2022 Climate-prepared countries are losing ground, latest ND-GAIN index shows For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn