Professor Timothy McDonald

Professor Tim McDonald is the Clinical Director of Pathology Services at the Royal Devon University Hospitals with dual clinical and research responsibilties. He holds an NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre Senior Investigator Fellowship and is the Diagnostic and Biomarker Theme Lead for the Exeter NIHR Health Tech  Research Centre. 

Broad research specialisms:

His broad research interest is in the use of laboratory diagnostics to improve treatment outcomes and differential diagnosis. He has specific interests in diabetes and gastroenterology.

Qualifications:

BSc, PgC, MSc, PhD, FRCPath

Research Interests

Professor McDonald is an Exeter NIHR BRC  Senior Investogator and also leads the Diagnostics and Biomarkers theme of the Exeter NIHR Health Tech Research Centre along with Professor Nick Stone.

Professor McDonald's research interest involve using biomarkers to identify patients with monogenic forms of diabetes. They have developed clinical predication models to help clinicians identify patients with rare genetic causes of diabetes. The advantage being that these patients can often be treated with tablets, rather than insulin injections.

Assessment of endogenous insulin production is another area of active research. They have investigated the possibility of measuring C-peptide in urine rather than in a blood sample, identifying the clinical utility and optimal storage parameters that enable measurement from a posted urine sample. The measurement of urinary C-peptide/Creatinine ratio (UCPCR) is now provided as a routine NHS pathology test to assess endogenous insulin secretion and is requested by over 100nclinical laboratories in the UK.

External responsibilities

• Chair of Peninsula Pathology, Operational Delivery Group. NHSi pathology network south 1 (2021-2023)
• Scientific lead, Trust Innovation Hub, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (2020-2023)
• Peninsula Cancer Alliance- qFIT implementation and assessment board (2017-2021)
• Peninsula Pathology Clinical Effectiveness Group member (2021-ongoing)
• Triumvirate Lead Scientist, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust  (2020-2021)
• Chair of Blood Sciences Working Group, NHSi pathology network south 1 (21.19-2020)
• University of Exeter Medical School, Honorary Clinical Professor (2020-present)
• NICE-DAR report Clinical Expert- TNF alpha TDM in rheumatology (2018-2019)
• UK Islet Transplant Consortia Central Endocrine Laboratory Lead (2016-present)
• EU-IMI DIRECT consortium data access committee  and laboratory lead 2015- 2020
• Association of Clinical Biochemists, South West regional tutor (2013-2018)
• Blood Sciences Lead- Exeter Genomic Medicine Centre (100k genome project) management board (2015-2017)

Awards

• • UKMED LAB- Impact award 2023: Remote diagnostics, paediatric highly specialist services.
  • RCOG World Congress 2022- Best Oral Presentation: Normative values of tumour markers CA125 & CEA in pregnancy:prospective cohort study.
• HSJ Acute Healthcare Service Innovation of the Year 2021: Patient led remote phlebotomy
• HSJ Value Awards Finalist: Clinical and Medical Services, Cancer Initiative of the Year 2020. Implementation of Symptomatic Faecal Immunochemical Testing in the South West. SW Cancer Alliance. 2020 · South West Cancer Alliances
• Excellence in Improving Outcomes for Patients. NHS Healthcare Science Awards 2019
• Guardian University Awards- Impact awards.  C-peptide testing in the clinic. Runner up 2019
• Diabetes UK Lily Clinical Science Poster Award – Diabetes UK Professional conference winner 2018 (Senior Author)
• The ACB Professors’ Prize - The Association of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine research contribution prize. FOCUS national conference 2016
• Diabetes UK Lily Clinical Science Poster Award – Diabetes UK Professional conference winner 2016 (runner up 2014)
• Innovators in Diabetes (IDIA)- Lilly/ DUK- Best research presentation prize 2016
• NIHR Research presentation prize- NIHR faculty meeting 2014
• NIHR CSO Clinical Research Fellow 2013-2017
• Young Healthcare Scientist of the Year The Department of Health/ Chief Scientific Officers 2012
• Finalist Student Impact Award The University of Exeter Impact Award- 2011
• Young Researcher Award The Association of Clinical Biochemists 2010 First prize for best presentation and research paper
• Second prize clinical audit competition. Regional NHS audit meeting, 2008. Awarded
• Siemens award best research paper presentation. The Association of Clinical Biochemistry SWW meeting 2008

Invited/ Prize  lectures

• UKMEDLAB23, Impact Award Lecture 2023
• UKMEDLAB23, Newborn Screeining for neonatal diabetes June 2023
• Association of Chemical Pathologist, seminar series- Idenitifying monogenic diabetes  May 2022
• Royal College of Patologists, Seminar series-  Clinical utility of C-peptide June 2021
• Association of Clinical Biochemistry Midlands- Tools for detecting MODY May 2021
• Diabetes UK: Bringing C-peptide to the clinic 2020
• New york University Diabetes Symposium: Searching for rare diabetes 2019
• Midlands Endocrine & Diabetes conference. Laboratory medicine and diabetes. Invited speaker May 2018
• Cork Diabetes Update 2018. Invited speaker April 2018
• Consultant Diabetologist Forum: Precision medicine in diabetes. Invited speaker November 2017
• BSPED Manchester, Finding the rare cases in the paediatric clinic. Invited speaker. November 2017
• Royal College of Pathologists Australia- Pathology Update 2017- Invited International speaker series, Sydney March  2017
• ACB South West and Wessex- biochemistry of pregnancy and newborn, Exeter 2017
• Association of Clinical Biochemist Professors’ prize lecture, Warick 2016
• Precision Medicine- getting the diagnosis right. KEM Pune, India 2015.
• Identifying unusual diabetes! Association of Biochemists Ireland: Dublin 2014
• C-peptide: time to think again? Bristol Diabetes Association. Bristol University Medical School 2014
• The analyser will see you now!.  Association         of Clinical Biochemists. Midlands scientific meeting, Birmingham 2013
• Systematic approach to correct genetic diagnosis. Diabetes UK, Manchester 2013
• Using biomarkers to identify MODY in our clinics. Advances in the Science and Care of Diabetes. Winthrop Hospital Symposium, New York 2012
• Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY). Correct classification with the use of biomarkers. ACB FOCUS national conference. Harrogate 2011
• Urine C-peptide creatinine ratio: a new marker of insulin secretion? KEM, Pune, India 2011
• Diabetes autoantibodies can discriminate MODY from Type 1 diabetes. South West Peninsula Immunology symposium 2010
• Getting the diabetes right, Urine C-peptide creatinine ratio. Association of Clinical Biochemist