Monash and DDZ: Global partnership driving new directions in diabetes research and care
A longstanding partnership between Monash University and the German Diabetes Centre (DDZ) in Düsseldorf is advancing global understanding of how diabetes affects multiple organs — and why protecting the kidneys is just as critical as protecting the heart.
This collaboration, led by Professor Karin Jandeleit-Dahm, Deputy Head of the Department of Diabetes at Monash University and Group Leader in Nephropathy at the DDZ, is part of a growing international effort to rethink how diabetes and its complications are studied and treated.
“We need to redefine our understanding of diabetes — not as a single disease, but as a complex, interconnected system that demands equally integrated solutions,” Professor Jandeleit-Dahm says.
In September 2025, the Monash and DDZ partnership co-hosted an international meeting in Neusiedl am See, Austria, gathering leading endocrinologists, diabetologists, nephrologists, cardiologists, and researchers from Europe, the US, and Australia. They explored one of the most pressing challenges in metabolic disease today: the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome.
Defined by the American Heart Association, CKM recognises that diabetes cannot be viewed in isolation from the heart, kidneys, and liver. Each organ communicates through complex biological pathways — a concept known as organ crosstalk. When these systems fail, the result is a cascade of complications that can begin long before symptoms are detected.
“Diabetes, kidney, liver and heart disease are interlinked — they form a system that should no longer be viewed in isolation,” says DDZ Scientific Director Professor Michael Roden. “If we understand these connections, we can protect affected individuals at an earlier stage and reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or kidney failure.”
The overlooked organ: kidney disease in diabetes
Type 2 diabetes often goes undiagnosed for years, silently damaging blood vessels and organs. While heart disease and stroke have long been recognised as leading risks, diabetic kidney disease has received far less attention — despite being a major cause of disability and premature death.
Many patients’ kidney damage remains undetected until it is advanced, simply because simple urine and blood tests are underused in clinical practice. This is a major issue since there is evidence that shows that even modest reductions in kidney function greatly increase the likelihood of cardiovascular complications.
For Professor Jandeleit-Dahm, this represents a missed opportunity for prevention and early intervention. “Only through improved cooperation between international experts can we better understand the mechanisms of CKM syndrome and the crosstalk between different organs. This is crucial to develop more effective treatment and prevention strategies,” she says.
Her work within the Monash–DDZ partnership focuses on uncovering shared pathways among the heart, kidneys, and vascular system identifying molecular targets that could help slow or even prevent organ damage in people with diabetes.
A global dialogue for earlier intervention
The 2025 meeting, Organ Crosstalk in Diabetes: Why the Heart, Kidneys and Liver are Inseparably Connected, featured presentations from some of the world’s foremost experts in diabetes complications.
Highlights included new data on lipid metabolism and inflammation, presented by Professor Thomas Stulnig (Vienna), and emerging therapies for diabetic kidney disease from Professor Catherine Godson (Dublin). Professor Ronald Ma (Hong Kong) unveiled epigenetic biomarkers that may predict kidney disease years earlier than current tests, while Professor Peter Rossing (Steno Diabetes Center, Copenhagen) introduced the STENO-1 study which is currently testing combined modern therapies in type 1 diabetes to prevent cardiovascular and kidney events.
Professor Petter Bjornstad (Seattle) shared evidence that kidney disease is affecting younger people with obesity and type 2 diabetes and that interventions such as bariatric surgery can help preserve kidney function.
These diverse contributions reflect a growing international consensus that tackling diabetic complications requires integrated thinking and coordinated care across organs, systems, and multiple disciplines.
Building on the Copenhagen Declaration
The outcomes of this collaboration align closely with the 2025 Copenhagen Declaration for Diabetes, signed just three months earlier, which calls for intensified global efforts to detect and manage diabetes complications early to ensure that kidney health is not neglected in prevention programs.
Both the Declaration and the Monash–DDZ partnership emphasise early testing, equitable access to modern therapies, and a shift from reactive to proactive care. This means screening for subtle kidney changes long before symptoms appear and designing therapies that target the shared biology of the heart, kidneys, and liver.
A shared vision for the future
The Monash–DDZ partnership is a model for how global collaboration can accelerate discovery and improve lives. Supported by partners including the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and Boehringer Ingelheim, this collaboration brings together academic insight and clinical innovation to drive change at scale.
Professor Jandeleit-Dahm says kidney disease has long been the ‘silent partner’ in diabetes. “Through our international network, we are changing that — ensuring that kidney health becomes central to how we prevent, study, and treat diabetes worldwide.”