I have strong memories of my grandmother, who was in bed because she had a stroke from diabetes. My father and six uncles also had diabetes, which caused heart problems, nerve damage, and eye issues. My father and two uncles died from heart problems, one uncle had his leg amputated, and another had vision issues. They all experienced different levels of nerve damage. This made me very curious about diabetes, and I wanted to learn about its causes and how to prevent or treat it.
I was fortunate to work with Professor Paul J. Thornalley at the University of Essex for my PhD. My project focused on creating technology to measure metabolic disorders accurately, looking at damage caused by oxidation, glycation (sugar modifications), and nitration in body samples. I developed a method called AGEomics using mass spectrometry, which is a top technique.
This AGEomics technology helped me understand various conditions, especially diabetes and its complications, as well as other issues like arthritis, autism, liver disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. My main focus was on diabetes and finding ways to fix it