Professor Owens has been involved in the management of diabetes and related research activities for more than 35 years. His early work regarding the clinical pharmacology of insulin was published as single author book ‘Human Insulin’ in 1986. His primary research interests included the evolution of glucose intolerance and pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes and the evaluation of all new and emerging therapies. Clinically he has had a long term interest in the micro-vascular complications of diabetes especially diabetic retinopathy and diabetic foot disease. He introduced the first community based National Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales as its Director and Clinical Lead from its establishment in 2003, following a successful regional pilot project. This service now accommodates approximately 180,000 patients screened annually. He has published over 400 articles and contributed many chapters in books relating to diabetes, its complications and management. He is currently exploring the value of retinal images for predicting the risk of co-morbidities such as stroke and the utilisation of automated programmes in diabetic retinopathy screening.

Professor Owens is a member of the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Fellow of the Institute of Biology. His advice and opinion has been sought by numerous diabetes-related advisory boards for both United Kingdom and International Governmental organizations.

Professor Owens continues to work and carry out research in diabetes and its complications and is involved in several countries including Mauritius, the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago) and India in an educational and advisory capacity. In Mauritius he was instrumental in originating the National Service Framework for Diabetes in 2006 and has since been actively involved since 2008 in developing several services including establishing a Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service, a Diabetic Foot Care training programme and an educational programme for Children and Young persons with diabetes and their health care professionals. From a situation will no diabetic retinopathy screening and inadequate hospital eye services. Mauritius now has a National programme with trained screeners/graders in each of its five Regional Health Authorities together with the introduction of the latest laser equipment and VEGF treatment in the hospital eye units. As a consequence a major reduction in the need for vitreo-retinal surgery for end stage eye disease in persons with diabetes has been observed over the last few years. He has also helped to train and introduce the speciality of Diabetes Specialist Nurses and Diabetic Foot Care Officers in Mauritius.

He is now involved in a similar program in Trinidad and Tobago following a Pilot study introducing a limited diabetic retinopathy screening service in the largest Regional health Authority almost 3 years ago. The present government have expressed a wish to expand the programme as part of their future NCD plans. Other countries with whom there is communication relating to the establishment of diabetic retinopathy screening includes Peru and Bermuda where we have donated non-mydriatic cameras in order to initiate the programmes which are still in the planning stage.

Since 2000 Professor Owens with two of his colleagues inaugurated the first ‘on-line’ Post-Graduate Diploma Course in Diabetes from the University of Cardiff. Since then more than 200 student from across the globe have been trained each year and the programme has been extended to other institutions. In addition he has been involved in producing training materials and delivering training on diabetic retinopathy and grading in the respective services mentioned above.

Professor Owens has and continues to be regularly invited to lecture at the main International meetings in Diabetes, including the IDF, ADA and EASD.

In 2002 Professor Owens was awarded the CBE for his services to diabetes and the National Health Service.