Staff Profile

Research Interests

My work largely centres around understanding the molecular and cellular events that are involved in beta-cell dedifferentiation in human diabetes. Emerging from recent rodent lineage tracing studies, this exciting field may change the approach we take towards targeted therapies in Patients with type two diabetes. Recently, we have demonstrated beta cell dedifferentiated phenotypes and possible alpha cell reprogramming in tissue and islets obtained from Patients with clinical type two diabetes.

Current Funding

01/05/2015- 30/04/2016 MRC CiC (£29,150):  Towards disease modifying therapy for type-2 diabetes: testing novel peptides in an established model of beta-cell dedifferentiation

01/03/2015- 28/02/2018  Diabetes UK PhD studentship (£92,460.00):  Defining the role of dedifferentiation as a primary mechanism of beta-cell dysfunction in type-2 diabetes

Current projects

Currently, I have funding from the Confidence in Concept (CiC) scheme to work in collaboration with a large diabetes Pharmaceutical company. We have developed a humanised in vitro model of beta-cell dedifferentiation which we are utilising as a drug screening platform for the discovery of novel, disease modifying therapeutics. In addition, using a gain- and loss- of function approach, I am also exploring the role that various transcription factors play in beta-cell dedifferentiation. Critically, we are able to understand the potential clinical relevance of these studies through examining postmortem tissue obtained from Patients with type 2 diabetes. 

Undergraduate Teaching

Supervision of final year undergraduate student laboratory projects.

Postgraduate Teaching

Supervision of MRes laboratory projects

Supervision of PhD students

• Armour SL, Shaw JA, White MG. An in vitro model of beta cell de-differentiation and potential alpha cell reprogramming. In: Diabetes UK Professional Conference. 2015, London, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• White MG, Armour SL, Shaw JA. Limiting human beta cell de-differentiation by small molecule inhibitors of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) pathway. In: Diabetes UK Professional Conference. 2015, London, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• White MG, Shaw JAM. Involvement of Notch signaling in Human Beta-Cell Dedifferentiation. In: American Diabetes Association 74th Scientific Sessions. 2014, San Francisco, CA, USA: Diabetes.
• White MG, Marshall HL, Shaw JAM. Beta cell dedifferentiation: Evidence for ductal progenitors as a source of new beta cells?. In: Diabetes UK Professional Conference. 2013, Manchester: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• White MG, Marshall HL, Rigby R, Huang GC, Amer A, Booth T, White S, Shaw JAM. Expression of Mesenchymal and α-Cell Phenotypic Markers in Islet β-Cells in Recently Diagnosed Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2013, 36(11), 3818-3820.
• White MG, Al-Turaifi HR, Holliman GN, Aldibbiat A, Mahmoud A, Shaw JAM. Pluripotency-associated stem cell marker expression in proliferative cell cultures derived from adult human pancreas. Journal of Endocrinology 2011, 211(2), 169-176.
• Anderson SJ, White MG, Armour SL, Maheshwari R, Tiniakos D, Muller YD, Berishvili E, Berney T, Shaw JAM. Loss of end-differentiated β-cell phenotype following pancreatic islet transplantation. American Journal of Transplantation 2018, 18(3), 750-755.
• Anderson SJ, Armour SL, White MG, Berishvili E, Berney T, Shaw JAM. Evidence for Beta Cell Dedifferentiation as a Cause for Sustained Graft Dysfunction Following Peri Engraftment Hypoxia in Clinical Islet Transplantation. In: American Diabetes Association 76th Scientific Sessions. 2016, New Orleans: American Diabetes Association.
• Armour SL, Shaw JA, White MG. Limitation of glucotoxicity-induced beta-cell dedifferentiation and alpha-cell transition following Nkx6.1 overexpression. In: Diabetes UK Professional Conference. 2016, Glasgow: Wiley-Blackwell.
• White MG, Shaw JAM, Taylor R. Type 2 Diabetes: The Pathologic Basis of Reversible β-Cell Dysfunction. Diabetes Care 2016, 39(11), 2080-2088.
• Anderson SJ, White MG, Marshall HL, Shaw JA. Contaminating exocrine tissue as a source of MCP-1 in islet transplantation. In: Diabetes UK Professional Conference. 2015, London, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
• White MG, Shaw JA. Establishment of a lentiviral reporter gene system for characterising steaminess and differentiation potential of Oct4 expressing cells derived from human pancreas. In: Diabetes UK. 2012, Diabetic Medicine.