Professor Sam Philip

Biography

He is currently in NHS Grampian as a Consultant Physician in the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology and as an honorary Professor at the University of Aberdeen. 

Prof Sam Philip graduated from the Mahatma Gandhi University (India). He obtained his postgraduate degree in General (Internal) Medicine from Trivandrum Medical college (M Sivaraman Nair Gold Medal in 1999). Having obtained his MRCP(UK) from the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh, he started his specialisation in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in 2001.

He is the national clinical lead for SCI-Diabetes Scotland national diabetes management system.  He is the clinical lead (North) for Scottish health research register (SHARE) and the Grampian Diabetes Research Unit.

He was clinical research fellow in Biomedical Physics on automated retinopathy detection as part of the 'Ophthalmic Imaging Group' led by Dr John Olson and Prof Peter Sharp and obtained an MD from the University of Aberdeen. He won the Diabetes UK Young Diabetologist Award  2006 and Fould’s trophy (annual congress of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists 2005) for his work.

His clinical interests include insulin pump therapy and is the lead for the adult insulin pump service in Grampian.  He is leading the development of teleconsultation service for diabetes in Orkney and Shetland and use of technology for supporting diabetes care in the isles. He has a strong interest in research with clinical application and has won awards for projects on automated retinopathy detection, integrated screening (National Diabetes MCN Professional conference 2007), inpatient diabetes hypoglycaemia management (Diabetes in Scotland conference 2006, 2010), telemedicine consultation (RSM ehealth conference 2010), hybrid education models for technology.

He was the Training programme director for Diabetes and Endocrinology (North 2014 to 2021).He was the chair of the Scottish Study group for young people with diabetes (2021-2023)

Research Overview

Diabetic Retinopathy, Medical Imaging, Telemedicine, Automation  and use of  information technology in health care.

Current Research

Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetes Telemedicine, Diabetes epidemiology, Information technology for Diabetes care,Functional MRI

Collaborations

Scottish Health Research Register 

Curator : Scottish Diabetes Register for  Young people with Diabetes

Funding and Grants

Research Activity

Academic

Principal investigator Can automated analysis of sequential retinal images of people attending diabetic retinopathy screening predict future referral to Ophthalmology? Funded by Chief Scientist Office, Scotland (£224,520) Dec
2012 to Nov 2015

Co-investigator Patterns of weight changes after diagnosis in patients with Type 2 Diabetes and their relationship with metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes. Funded by chief scientist office (£50,000) June 2012 May 2013

Co-investigator The Relationship between Diabetes and Stroke in an NHS Grampian Stroke Population June 2012 May 2013, NHS Grampian Endowments 3,000 Co -Investigator

Co-investigator CZG/2/536 - The value of automated grading of retinopathy to predict 5-year cardiovascular disease risk in people with diabetes in Scotland Funded by chief scientist office

Co-investigator in a (NHS Health Technology Assessment Programme) Improving the value of screening for diabetic macular oedema using surrogate photographic markers (Project No 06/402/49, January 2008- January 2010, £464,949).

Co-investigator in a Chief Scientist Office funded study- ‘The Role of Automated Level-Two Grading within The Diabetic Retinopathy Screening  Collaborative Network’ (CZH/4/316) £183743. A multi-centre study involving NHS Grampian, NHS Tayside, NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow.

Co-investigator:   Muscle fat compartments and turnover as a determinant of insulin sensitivity: D Dawson (Chief Investigator), M Delibegovic, S Gray, S Philip, P Whitfield, F Thies, G Lobley, British Heart Foundation Project Grant no. PG/15/88/31780, £259,358, 2016-2019

Academic trials hosted

Local Principal investigator: Lowering Events in Non-proliferative Retinopathy in Scotland (LENS) NCT03439345

Local Principal investigator: Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Women with Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy Trial. UKCRN ID 12637, funded by Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Limited (JDRF) Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation (DRWF) 

Local Principal investigator: Genetics of Diabetes Audit and Research in Tayside and Scotland. NCT02712632 Scottish Diabetes Research Network

Local Principal investigator: REducing With MetfOrmin Vascular Adverse Lesions in Type 1 Diabetes (REMOVAL) NCT01483560 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Commercial

Principal investigator: A Heart Disease Study of Semaglutide in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (SOUL) Expected date of closing 2024

Principal investigator: A Research Study to See How Semaglutide Works Compared to Placebo in People with Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (FLOW) Expected date of closing 2023

Principal investigator: Effect of Albiglutide, When Added to Standard Blood Glucose Lowering Therapies, on Major Cardiovascular Events in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: (Harmony) Expected date of closed 2020

Principal investigator: SAGE-Observational study of glycaemic control & QoL in Type 1 diabetes. Sponsor: Sanofi closed 2019

Principal investigator: Exenatide Study of Cardiovascular Event Lowering Trial (EXSCEL): A Trial To Evaluate Cardiovascular Outcomes After Treatment With Exenatide Once Weekly In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus NCT01144338, Sponsor: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, LLC.

Principal investigator:A European, Prospective, Controlled, Non-Interventional, Stratified Cluster Randomised Study to Assess the Frequency of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose, Quality of Life, and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Subjects with type I or type II Diabetes being Treated with Insulin. Study Number: RD001073 Sponsor Roche Pharmaceuticals

Co-investigator: Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes: Evaluation of
Cardiovascular Outcome Results - A Long Term Evaluation (LEADER®). NCT01179048 Sponsor Novo Nordisk. 

Co-investigator: TECOS: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial to Evaluate Cardiovascular Outcomes After Treatment With Sitagliptin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Inadequate Glycemic Control NCT00790205. Sponsor:Merck 

Teaching Responsibilities

2008:  Supervisor for Medical student electives/ Intercalation ( BSc (Hons) in Medical Sciences)

2008:  Supporting Diabetes and Endocrinology undergraduate curriculum

2008: Supporting allied professional and postgraduate education

2008- present: Educational supervision of Registrars/ Specialty trainees 

2014 -2021 :Regional Training Programme Director for Diabetes and Endocrinology (North)

2015 -2018: National training programme director for Diabetes and Endocrinology (Scotland)

2008- 2014: Educational supervision of Foundation trainees 

• BSc (Hons) in Medical Sciences (Honours Year)