The ADSHG is delighted to announce the award of £20,000 to Dynamic Therapeutics, the team behind U-RHYTHM, to support their drive to get UKCA marking, to enable it to be used more routinely for patient care.
Why we support research
One of the 3 strands of the work of the charity is known as the 'Advance' strand.
This refers to our determination to fund, contribute to and promote the development of new innovations and research, to improve the quality of life of people with Addison's disease and other types of adrenal insufficiency.
It is really important to us that the same focus and technological improvements seen in other areas of medicine are also applied to adrenal medicine.
We are passionate about engaging with clinicial researchers to help them, through your voice, understand the needs of the adrenal insufficiency community, and to encourage them to work in this key area.
Thank you!
Over the years, thanks to your generosity with fundraising and donations, we have been able to support projects which are evaluated to be of key benefit to the Addison's and adrenal insufficiency community.
Supporting U-RHYTHM: a portable hormone collection device
Dynamic Therapeutics, awarded £20,000 in 2026
The U-rhythm system is the first system to be able to accurately and reliably measure tissue-level hormones over the course of a day. Dynamic Therapeutics mission, which the ADSHG are delighted to support, is to provide accurate and well-validated technology for the measurement of hormone rhythms, improving the lives of patients across the world.
Research already completed has shown that 24-hour U-rhythm hormone profiles, particularly overnight, enable clinicians to rapidly and reliably diagnose and improve the treatment of hormonal conditions, including Addison’s disease and other causes of adrenal insufficiency. They recognise that every patient is different and deserves individual, tailored therapy.
Rapid Evaluation and Surveillance of Critical Urgencies in Endocrinology (RESCUE) - Adrenal Crisis.
Dr Punith Kempegowda and Dr Amanda Ling, University of Birmingham
Winners of the £10,000 Professor John Wass Research Award (2026)
RESCUE is a national project led by Dr Punith Kempegowda and Dr Amanda Ling from the University of Birmingham, to establish structured surveillance models for endocrine emergencies.
Beginning with hyponatraemia and adrenal crisis, the programme addresses gaps in care by developing scalable audit platforms and capturing real-world patient and clinician experiences. It also delivers targeted educational interventions to enhance clinical knowledge, consistency of care and patient outcomes.
This significant data project will identify areas for improvement where funds and focus are needed in relation to improving adrenal crisis management within a hospital setting. It is based on a successful model used in the management of ketosis for people with diabetes. It proposes the design and implementation of a scalable, cloud-based platform for the collection of clinical data across multiple NHS sites. This will enable benchmarking and show variations in care between hospitals and regions, and encourage best practice.
Approval in principle and £10,000 seed funding from the ADSHG supports the project in attracting principal funding from other resources. ADSHG Trustee Group, 2026
Exploring patient and healthcare practitioner experiences and perceptions of adrenal crisis management in pre-hospital and emergency department settings.
Dr Sofia Llahana, City St Georges, University of London.
Awarded an £18,000 adhoc grant (2025)
The primary objective of this arm of the study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in pre-hospital and emergency department (ED) settings regarding the management of adrenal crisis. This study seeks to address a critical gap in the existing literature by exploring the system infrastructure and the preparedness of frontline healthcare workers in managing this life-threatening condition.
Outcomes from this research will help fill existing gaps about healthcare professionals knowledge and perceptions of adrenal crisis management, which are key to patients with adrenal insufficiency, including Addison’s, receiving effective and time critical treatment both before and during a visit to A&E. Adrenal crisis management is a critical area where improvements can result in better health outcomes for patients and could lead to increased confidence in healthcare services. ADSHG Trustee Group, 2025
Patient education of Paediatric Adrenal Insufficiency
Dr Jarod Wong, Honorary Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist, Glasgow University
Awarded an adhoc grant of £3,283 in 2025
To develop consistent national resources for the education of paediatric adrenal insufficiency patients and their families, for use across all NHS sites, informed by feedback from the patient community.
This project will use creative and flexible methods to work collaboratively with a diverse group of young people, parents and health professionals to co-design the resource.
This clear and implementable project is directly relevant to all adrenal insufficiency patients and will ensure accessible, reliable, consistent and accurate information to young people, helping them understand and optimally manage their condition. The use of working groups with involvement and input from young people and parents ensures the relevance of the outcomes. The advantages are clear for young people, but well-informed young people will develop into well-informed adults, therefore ensuring the longevity of the project’s benefits. ADSHG Trustee Group, 2025
ADSHG Grants and Awards
To explore the eligibility criteria for all of the ADSHG's financial awards and grants, visit our webpage for researchers:
Current & Previous Award Recipients:
Annette Seal Award 2025: Leigh Carroll-Moriarty, Speciality Endocrine Nurse, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
A retrospective analysis of the 9am cortisol predictive value of adrenal insufficiency . Aim: To establish 9am cortisol predictive value of adrenal insufficiency with normal/abnormal short synacthen tests (SSTs) and whether test indication influences this.
Award-winning abstracts from previous years' events
- Louise Breen - Implementation and impact of perioperative guidelines and the steroid emergency card for the management of adrenal insufficiency and prevention of adrenal crisis. Endocrine Abstracts (2023) 94 P4 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.94.P4
- Lisa Shepherd - Use of Health Literacy Tools to Improve Written Information for Patients with or at Risk of Adrenal Insufficiency. Endocrine Abstracts (2022) 86 P150 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.86.P150
- Sherwin Criseno - The 4E (Engage, Educate, Equip and Empower): A framework for supporting the approach in the prevention, early recognition and effective management of adrenal crisis in adults. Endocrine Abstracts (2021) 77 P17 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.77.P17
- Lisa Shepherd - Development of interventions to prevent adrenal crisis – How can the application of behaviour change theory and intervention frameworks inform practice? Endocrine Abstracts (2021) 77 P133 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.77.P133
- Helen Loo, Anne Marland, Zara Shoosmith & Helen Turner - Cortisol alert dog: Improving patient outcomes, Endocrine Abstracts (2019) 65 P338 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.65.P338
Help fund research projects that drive improvements in quality of care
Healthcare Professionals
Stay in touch with ADSHG research support by signing up for the quarterly ADSHG Connection e-newsletter. It is filled with key information and updates on adrenal insufficiency, including Addison's disease, ensuring you feel equipped to support your patients in the best way possible.