Professor Susan Wong
(she/her)

Clinical Professor

I have had many years of research experience in working on how the immune system damages the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas in type 1 diabetes. My research primarily focuses on causes and development of type 1 diabetes and has encompassed T cell immunology, B cell immunology, regulatory T cells, innate immunity – and in recent years, our work has included studies in the role of the gut microbiome. As a member of the UK Type 1 Diabetes Consortium, I have also been involved in translational work in developing immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes and in early phase 1a clinical trials.

I have also had many years of clinical experience and in recent years have been particularly involved in treatment and care of people living with Type 1 diabetes treated with continuous insulin infusion pumps, as well as structured education for people with Type 1 diabetes.

I am the deputy director of the Division of Infection and Immunity at Cardiff University, School of Medicine. I am also the Head of the Diabetes Research Group leading the Immunology theme within the Division.

Date
Type

2025

Jia, J., Bai, X., Kang, Q., Jiang, F., Wong, F. S., Jin, Q. and Li, M. 2025. Blockade of glucagon receptor induces α-cell hypersecretion by hyperaminoacidemia in mice. Nature Communications 16(1), article number: 2473. (10.1038/s41467-025-57786-7)

2024

Mora-Bitria, L. et al. 2024. Inhibitory KIRs decrease HLA class II-mediated protection in Type 1 Diabetes.. PLoS Genetics 20(12), article number: e1011456. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1011456)
Bessard, M. et al. 2024. Insulin-degrading enzyme regulates insulin-directed cellular autoimmunity in murine type 1 diabetes. Frontiers in Immunology 15, article number: 1474453. (10.3389/fimmu.2024.1474453)
Kakabadse, D. et al. 2024. Regulatory CD4 + T cells redirected against pathogenic CD8 + T cells protect NOD mice from development of autoimmune diabetes. Frontiers in Immunology 15, article number: 1463971. (10.3389/fimmu.2024.1463971)
Smith, M. J., Boldison, J. and Wong, F. S. 2024. The role of B lymphocytes in type 1 diabetes. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine (10.1101/cshperspect.a041593)
Yang, X. et al. 2024. Gut microbiota from B-cell-specific TLR9-deficient NOD mice promote IL-10 + Breg cells and protect against T1D. Frontiers in Immunology 15, article number: 1413177. (10.3389/fimmu.2024.1413177)
Wang, P. et al. 2024. Tlr9 deficiency in B cells leads to obesity by promoting inflammation and gut dysbiosis. Nature Communications 15(1), article number: 4232. (10.1038/s41467-024-48611-8)
Zhang, L., Wang, P., Huang, J., Xing, Y., Wong, F. S., Suo, J. and Wen, L. 2024. Gut microbiota and therapy for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Frontiers in Endocrinology 15, article number: 1333778. (10.3389/fendo.2024.1333778)
Pearson, J. A., Hu, Y., Peng, J., Wong, F. S. and Wen, L. 2024. TLR5-deficiency controls dendritic cell subset development in an autoimmune diabetes-susceptible model. Frontiers in Immunology 15, article number: 1333967. (10.3389/fimmu.2024.1333967)

2023

Hanna, S. J. et al. 2023. Single-cell RNAseq identifies clonally expanded antigen-specific T-cells following intradermal injection of gold nanoparticles loaded with diabetes autoantigen in humans. Frontiers in Immunology 14, article number: 1276255. (10.3389/fimmu.2023.1276255)
Pearson, J. A. et al. 2023. NLRP6 deficiency expands a novel CD103 + B cell population that confers immune tolerance in NOD mice. Frontiers in Immunology 14, article number: 1147925. (10.3389/fimmu.2023.1147925)
Okada, M. et al. 2023. Islet‐specific CD8+ T cells gain effector function in the gut lymphoid tissues via bystander activation not molecular mimicry. Immunology & Cell Biology 101(1), pp. 36-48. (10.1111/imcb.12593)

2022

Pearson, J. A. et al. 2022. IgM-associated gut bacteria in obesity and type 2 diabetes in C57BL/6 mice and humans. Diabetologia 65(8), pp. 1398-1411. (10.1007/s00125-022-05711-8)
Chan, K., Wong, F. S. and Pearson, J. A. 2022. Circadian rhythms and pancreas physiology: A review. Frontiers in Endocrinology 13, article number: 920261. (10.3389/fendo.2022.920261)
Majewska-Szczepanik, M. et al. 2022. Obesity aggravates contact hypersensitivity reaction in mice. Contact Dermatitis 87(1), pp. 28-39. (10.1111/cod.14088)
Jia, J., Kang, Q., Liu, S., Song, Y., Wong, F. S., Qiu, Y. and Li, M. 2022. Artemether and aspterric acid induce pancreatic alpha cells to transdifferentiate into beta cells in zebrafish. British Journal of Pharmacology 179(9), pp. 1962-1977. (10.1111/bph.15769)
Green, E. A., Cooke, A. C., Piganelli, J. D., Richardson, S. J., Wen, L. and Wong, F. S. 2022. Editorial: Immunopathology of Type 1 Diabetes. Frontiers in Immunology 13, article number: 852963. (10.3389/fimmu.2022.852963)
Boldison, J. et al. 2022. Activated but functionally impaired memory Tregs are expanded in slow progressors to type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia 65, article number: 343–355. (10.1007/s00125-021-05595-0)
Huang, J., Pearson, J. A., Wong, F. S., Wen, L. and Zhou, Z. 2022. Innate immunity in latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews 38(1), article number: e3480. (10.1002/dmrr.3480)
Roy Chowdhury, S., Thomas, R. L., Dunseath, G. J., Luzio, S. D., Wong, F. S. and Owens, D. R. 2022. Incidence of diabetic retinopathy in newly diagnosed subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus over 5 years: Contribution of B-cell function. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications 36(1), article number: 108028. (10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2021.108028)
Tatovic, D. et al. 2022. Safety of the use of gold nanoparticles conjugated with proinsulin peptide and administered by hollow microneedles as an immunotherapy in Type 1 diabetes. Immunotherapy Advances 2(1), article number: ltac002. (10.1093/immadv/ltac002)
Buzzetti, R., Maddaloni, E., Gaglia, J. G., Leslie, R. D., Wong, F. S. and Boehm, B. O. 2022. Adult-onset autoimmune diabetes. Nature Reviews Disease Primers 8, article number: 63. (10.1038/s41572-022-00390-6)

2021

Quinn, L. M., Wong, F. S. and Narendran, P. 2021. Environmental determinants of type 1 diabetes: from association to proving causality. Frontiers in Immunology 12, article number: 737964. (10.3389/fimmu.2021.737964)
Boldison, J. and Wong, F. S. 2021. Regulatory B cells: role in type 1 diabetes. Frontiers in Immunology 12, article number: 746187. (10.3389/fimmu.2021.746187)
Pearson, J. A., Voisey, A. C., Boest Bjerg, K., Wong, F. S. and Wen, L. 2021. Circadian rhythm modulation of microbes during health and infection. Frontiers in Microbiology 12, article number: 721004. (10.3389/fmicb.2021.721004)
Huang, J. et al. 2021. IL-10 deficiency accelerates type 1 diabetes development via modulation of innate and adaptive immune cells and gut microbiota in BDC2.5 NOD mice. Frontiers in Immunology 12, article number: 702955. (10.3389/fimmu.2021.702955)
Pearson, J. A., Wong, F. S. and Wen, L. 2021. Inflammasomes and type 1 diabetes. Frontiers in Immunology 12, article number: 686956. (10.3389/fimmu.2021.686956)
Siah, Q. Z., Ubeysekara, N. H., Taylor, P. N., Davies, S. J., Wong, F., Dayan, C. M. and Alhadj Ali, M. 2021. Referral rates of patients with diabetes to secondary care are inversely related to the prevalence of diabetes in each primary care practice and confidence in treatment, not to HbA1c level. Primary Care Diabetes 15(3), pp. 513-517. (10.1016/j.pcd.2021.02.004)
Battaglia, M., Buckner, J. H., Levings, M. K., Richardson, S. J., Wong, F. S. and Tree, T. I. 2021. Identifying the ‘Achilles heel’ of type 1 diabetes. Clinical and Experimental Immunology 204(2), pp. 167-178. (10.1111/cei.13570)
Wong, F. S. and Tree, T. I. 2021. Historical and new insights into pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (2). Clinical and Experimental Immunology 204(2), pp. 165-166. (10.1111/cei.13597)
Boldison, J., Thayer, T. C., Davies, J. and Wong, F. S. 2021. Natural protection from Type 1 Diabetes in Non obese diabetic (Nod) mice is characterised by a unique pancreatic islet phenotype. Diabetes 70(3), article number: db200945. (10.2337/db20-0945)
Thayer, T. C., Davies, J., Pearson, J. A., Hanna, S. J., Wen, L. and Wong, F. S. 2021. Differentiating MHC-dependent and -independent mechanisms of lymph node stromal cell regulation of Proinsulin-specific CD8+ T-Cells in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 70(2), pp. 529-537., article number: db191050. (10.2337/db19-1050)
Singh, R. K. et al. 2021. Using gold nanoparticles for enhanced intradermal delivery of poorly soluble auto-antigenic peptides. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 32, article number: 102321. (10.1016/j.nano.2020.102321)
Huang, J. et al. 2021. Toll-like receptor 7 deficiency suppresses type 1 diabetes development by modulating B-cell differentiation and function. Cellular and Molecular Immunology 18, pp. 328-338. (10.1038/s41423-020-00590-8)
Sha, S. et al. 2021. TLR9-deficiency in B cells promotes immune tolerance via IL-10 in a type 1 diabetes mouse model. Diabetes 70(2), pp. 504-515. (10.2337/db20-0373)
Boldison, J., Da Rosa, L. C. and Wong, F. S. 2021. Regulatory B cells in type 1 diabetes. In: Mion, F. and Tonon, S. eds. Regulatory B Cells., Vol. 2270. Methods in Molecular Biology New York, US: Humana Press, pp. 419-435., (10.1007/978-1-0716-1237-8_22)

2008

Hu, C., Deng, S., Wong, F. S. and Wen, L. 2008. Anti-CD20 treatment prolongs syngeneic Islet graft survival and delays the onset of recurrent autoimmune diabetes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1150(1), pp. 217-219. (10.1196/annals.1447.032)
Wong, F. S. and Wen, L. 2008. IFN-α can both protect against and promote the development of Type 1 diabetes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1150(1), pp. 187-189. (10.1196/annals.1447.031)
Wong, F. S., Hu, C., Zhang, L., Du, W., Alexopoulou, L., Flavell, R. A. and Wen, L. 2008. The role of toll-like receptors 3 and 9 in the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1150(1), pp. 146-148. (10.1196/annals.1447.039)
Wong, F. S. and Wen, L. 2008. Toll-like receptors and diabetes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1150(1), pp. 123-132. (10.1196/annals.1447.063)
Scott, G. S. et al. 2008. Developing a novel model system to target insulin-reactive CD8 T cells. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1150(1), pp. 54-58. (10.1196/annals.1447.040)
Wong, F. S. and Dayan, C. M. 2008. Regulatory T cells in autoimmune endocrine diseases. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism 19(8), pp. 292-299. (10.1016/j.tem.2008.07.007)
Wong, F. S., Siew, L. and Wen, L. 2008. CD8+ T-cells and their interaction with other cells in damage to islet β-cells. Biochemical Society Transactions 36(3), pp. 316-320. (10.1042/BST0360316)
Rutter, G. and Wong, F. S. 2008. The pancreatic β-cell: birth, life and death. Biochemical Society Transactions 36(3), pp. 267-271. (10.1042/BST0360267)
Riboulet-Chavey, A., Diraison, F., Siew, L. K., Wong, F. S. and Rutter, G. A. 2008. Inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase protects pancreatic β-cells from cytokine-mediated apoptosis and CD8+ T-cell-induced cytotoxicity. Diabetes 57(2), pp. 415-423. (10.2337/db07-0993)
Brodie, G. M., Wallberg, M., Santamaria, P., Wong, F. S. and Green, E. A. 2008. B-cells promote intra-islet CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell survival to enhance type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 57(4), pp. 909-917. (10.2337/db07-1256)
Petrich de Marquesini, L. G., Moustakas, A. K., Thomas, I. J., Wen, L., Papadopoulos, G. K. and Wong, F. S. 2008. Functional inhibition related to structure of a highly potent insulin-specific CD8 T cell clone using altered peptide ligands. European Journal of Immunology 38(1), pp. 240-249. (10.1002/eji.200737762)
Baker, C., Petrich de Marquesini, L. G., Bishop, A. J., Hedges, A. J., Dayan, C. M. and Wong, F. S. 2008. Human CD8 responses to a complete epitope set from preproinsulin: implications for approaches to epitope discovery. Journal of Clinical Immunology 28(4), pp. 350-360. (10.1007/s10875-008-9177-4)
Wong, F. S. and Dayan, C. M. 2008. Regulatory T cells in autoimmune endocrine diseases. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism 19(8), pp. 292-299. (10.1016/j.tem.2008.07.007)
Wen, L. et al. 2008. Innate immunity and intestinal microbiota in the development of Type 1 diabetes [Letter]. Nature 455(7216), pp. 1109-1113. (10.1038/nature07336)

Our work in research in type 1 diabetes starts from basic science to try to understand why individuals develop diabetes. Together with studying the processes that lead to disease, we also work on a number of projects to develop immunotherapy to prevent diabetes, and also have very close collaboration with Professor Colin Dayan in the development of immunotherapy for people who have type 1 diabetes.

We have been funded over many years by the Medical Research Council, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Diabetes UK, the British Council, European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes, Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation. PhD students within the group have been funded by the MRC, Diabetes UK and Cnpq (Brazil).

Our work focuses on a number of different areas.

1. The role of CD8 cytotoxic T cells in the development of diabetes.

We have studied insulin-reactive CD8 T cells, aiming to understand why these cells damage insulin-producing islet beta cells as well as how to regulate them.

2. The role of B cells in the pathogenesis and regulation of diabetes.

B cells produce antibodies, a good marker of future developement of type 1 diabetes. These antibodies do not themselves cause damage, but the B cells that produce them are involved in communication with the T cells to cause diabetes. We also know that some B cells may be able to regulate damaging T cells. We are study these regulatory cells and whether they could be increased to help control damaging T cells in diabetes.

In addition, B cells are found in the pancreatic islets in people with type 1 diabetes - they are the second most abundant after CD8 T cells. We have studied the characteristics of B cells in the blood of people who have type 1 diabetes to test if there are differences from people who do not have diabetes. We found that a migration marker is lower on some memory B cells and are now studying these B cells further.

3. Development of immunotherapy using chimeric antigen receptors

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that modify T cells for therapy in cancer have now been approved for human therapy by the FDA (USA). We have been working on a similar strategy for type 1 diabetes with Prof Gideon Gross from Migal Institute in Israel to design an approach to reduce the damaging cytotoxic CD8 T cells that damage the islets. We modify cytotoxic cells as well as T cells that can control other T cells to make them specifically target the cells that damage the islet beta cells. This is a novel type of immunotherapy that is still in the early stages of development.

4. Study of the gut microbiome.

Type 1 diabetes occurs because of genetic susceptibility factors as well as interaction of these factors with the environment. Type 1 diabetes is increasing at a rate faster than can be explained by changes in genetics. Our studies with Prof Li Wen at Yale University have been to investigate the role of the gut bacteria in influencing type 1 diabetes.

5. Study of people at risk of diabetes development who have not progressed to type 1 diabetes.

B cells produce antibodies, a good marker of future developement of type 1 diabetes. Together with Dr Kathleen Gillespie at Bristol University, we have been studying immune cells in people who are at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes, because they have two or more autoantibodies associated with development of diabetes but have still not become diabetic after 10 years

Education and Qualifications

Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, Bristol
Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) 
Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training, Diabetes and Endocrinology
PhD in Immunogenetics of Diabetes, Kings College School of Medicine, London  
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) 
MBBS Kings College London 
BSc in Basic Medical Sciences with Biochemistry, (1st Class Hons) Kings College London 
Associate of King's College London

Honours and awards

2021 Kayla and Gerold Grodsky Basic Scientist award for major contributions to Type 1 Diabetes Research
2019 Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
2018 Dorothy Hodgkin Lecture, Diabetes UK
2007, 2010 Mary Jane Kugel Award, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
2000-2007      Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship in Clinical Science
1996-2000      Career Development Award, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
1994-1996      Post-doctoral Fellowship, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation         I
1993 Travelling Fellowship, Medical Research Council (UK)

Academic positions

2010- present: Professor of Experimental Diabetes and Metabolism, Division of Infection and Immunity, Systems Immunity URI, Cardiff University; Honorary Consultant Physician in Diabetes, Cardiff and Vale Health Board, Cardiff, UK
2008-2010: Professor of Immunology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol UK; Honorary Consultant Physician in Endocrinology and Diabetes, United Bristol NHS Healthcare Trust, Bristol, UK
2007-2008: Reader in Immunology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol UK; Honorary Consultant Physician in Endocrinology and Diabetes United Bristol NHS Healthcare Trust, Bristol, UK
2000-2007 :Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow in Clinical Science, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol UK; Honorary Consultant Physician in Endocrinology and Diabetes, United Bristol NHS Healthcare Trust, Bristol, UK

Committees and reviewing

Scientific Advisory

2024 - Diabetes UK Science and Research Advisory Group

2023- present Member of Research and Academic Medicine Committee, Royal College of Physicians (Lond)

2020-2023 Programme committee for Annual Professional Conference Diabetes UK

2020-2022 Chair of JDRF UK Scientific Advisory Board

2018-2020 Member of JDRF UK Scientific Advisory Board

2017-2023 Deputy Chair Clinical Studies Group (Pathogenesis) Diabetes UK

2009-2011 JDRF Research Priority Advisory Committee

2000-2004. Member of Steering Committee of the "Diabetes Vaccine Development Center" (DVDC), jointly Australian NHMRC and JDRF

Editorial

2021-2024 Associate Editor, Diabetologia

2020-2021 Research Topic Editor Frontiers in Immunology

2019-2021 Associate Editor Scientific Reports

1999-2021 Associate Editor, Current Molecular Medicine

Contact Details

WongFS@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 29206 87000

Research themes

Specialisms

Cellular immunology

External profiles

Personal website

Professor Susan Wong
(she/her)

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Articles