Elisa De FrancoView profile
Research Fellow
Dr. Elisa De Franco is a Clinical and Biomedical Sciences researcher at the University of Exeter Medical School , affiliated with the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre. She has held prestigious fellowships including the Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Fellowship (2019-2024) and the EFSD/Novo Nordisk Future Leaders Fellowship (2023-2028). Elisa leads the neonatal diabetes genetic testing service at Diabetes Genes . Education: BSc (University of Turin, Italy, 2008) MSc (University of Turin, Italy, 2010) PhD (Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry, 2014) Research Focus: Elisa investigates genetic causes of neonatal diabetes, pancreatic development, and beta cell dysfunction. Her work integrates exome sequencing, whole genome sequencing, and bioinformatics to uncover novel disease mechanisms, with applications in type 1 diabetes research and cell-based therapies . Scientific Contributions: Her research has identified genes like PAX4, ZNF808, and FICD in neonatal diabetes etiology. She has published extensively in journals like Journal of Clinical Investigation and Diabetologia , with a focus on genotype-phenotype correlations , endoplasmic reticulum stress , and imprinting disorders . Awards: Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Fellowship (2019) EFSD/Novo Nordisk Future Leaders Fellowship (2023) Marie Curie BOLD Project Funding (PhD) Professional Activities: Elisa works part-time as a Healthcare Scientist in the NHS Exeter exome service (2017-2019) and leads international collaborations, including studies on genetic etiologies in Sudan, Vietnam, and Kurdistan. She is a key contributor to consensus reports on precision diabetes medicine.









