Biomedical and Health Informatics for Diabetes (Closed)

This special issue is now closed. See all Past Special Issues.

Download the Call-for-Papers (PDF) for this special issue.

Important Dates:

Extended Deadline for Submission: 11 March 2015
Submission Opens: 1 February 2015
First Reviews Due: 10 April 2015
Final Decision: 31 May 2015

Guest Editors:

Desmond Johnston
Imperial College London
Anthony Guiseppi-Elie
Clemson University
Pantelis Georgiou
Imperial College London
Desmond Johnston Anthony Guiseppi-Elie Pantelis Georgiou

Managing Editor:

Scope:

It is estimated that 371 million people in the world have diabetes and the number is increasing at an alarming rate. In addition to short-term symptoms, there are long-term complications including cardiovascular diseases, especially heart attacks and strokes, kidney failure, diabetic foot disease leasing to gangrene and amputation, and blindness. Evidence suggests that the complications are reduced by good control of blood glucose. The associated financial costs are substantial and 80% of those affected live in low and middle income countries.

The onset of Type-2 diabetes can be delayed or prevented in many instances by lifestyle modification – dietary measures and physical activity. The benefits of avoiding diabetes persist for many years. Effective behavioural modification strategies involving personal contact methods are expensive and ways of reproducing the benefits using new mobile devices are needed. Better methods of glucose monitoring and drug delivery are essential.

Type-1 diabetes cannot at present be prevented. It requires systemic treatment with insulin, usually given by intermittent injections. As with Type-2 diabetes, avoidance of complications requires effective control of blood glucose and research continues into continuous monitoring and improved insulin delivery. Types if diabetes other than Type-1 or Type-2 may be difficult to differentiate clinically at presentation and event subsequently. Of especial importance is MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes in the Young) which is caused by single gene mutations and often treated inappropriately (such as unnecessary insulin injections). Methods of rapid accurate assignment of diabetes types are required.

The topics of this special issue include, but are not limited to:

  • Improved methods of glucose monitoring continuously with extensive validation results
  • Fully functional, reliable, portable closed loop systems for intelligent insulin delivery in Type-1 diabetes
  • Optimised delivery of insulin and other systemically ministered drugs to people with Type-2 diabetes
  • Bioinformatics and system level modelling (with validation) for diabetes
  • Smart wearable and implantable devices for continuous monitoring and intervention
  • Rapid assignment of diabetes types at or shortly following diagnosis
  • Mobile and wearable devices to assist people in lifestyle change e.g. physical activity monitoring and behaviour profiling
  • Technology-assisted delivery of education and motivation to people at risk of developing Type-2 diabetes before disease onset
  • Technology innovations for supplementing care for people with established Type-2 diabetes.

Priorities will be given to papers reporting original work supported by large cohort studies with clearly demonstrated clinical translational values supplemented by on-line data sets or algorithms that can be shared by the research community.

For more information, please refer to the Call-for-Papers (PDF) for this special issue.

This special issue is now closed. See all Past Special Issues.