Maltese professor secures £1.4 million UK research grant
He will lead the UK's implementation of a new saliva-based diagnostic test for adrenal insufficiency
Professor Miguel Debono, consultant in endocrinology and diabetes at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and honorary professor at the University of Sheffield, has been awarded a £1.4 million grant by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to lead the national implementation of a new saliva-based diagnostic test for adrenal insufficiency.
The innovation replaces the traditional hospital-based stimulation test, reducing the need for intravenous procedures and multiple blood samples. The new waking salivary cortisone test can be performed at home, costs £20 compared to the current £398, and has already become first-line practice in Sheffield.
National adoption is projected to save the NHS £24 million annually.
Professor Debono will lead a multi-centre study with Dr Charlotte Elder of Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
The initiative is supported by the Addison’s Disease Self Help Group, the Pituitary Foundation, the Shelford Group, the Society for Endocrinology and the NHS GIRFT programme.
Born and educated in Malta, Debono has established himself as a leading authority on cortisol and adrenal disorders.
In 2022, he facilitated a Memorandum of Understanding between Malta’s Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation and the University of Sheffield, enabling Maltese clinicians to undertake advanced research training in the UK.
Pilot NHS sites will begin adopting the saliva test in the coming months, with the aim of standardising diagnosis and improving patient outcomes across the UK.