Daniel Drucker, MD, a pioneering scientist whose research contributed to the development of the blockbuster GLP-1 medicines used to treat diabetes and obesity, will deliver the next Discovery Lecture Thursday, Nov. 21.
His presentation on “GLP-1 Medicines: Where and How Do They Work?” is also the Irwin Eskind, MD, Lecture in Biomedical Science. The lecture begins at 4 p.m. in 208 Light Hall and will be livestreamed.
Drucker, professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Toronto, holds the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre-Novodisk Chair in Incretin Biology. He is also a senior scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.
Drucker and his team study the molecular biology and physiology of the glucagon-like peptides (GLP-1 and GLP-2) — molecules that regulate glucose metabolism, insulin secretion and energy balance.
GLP-1 receptor agonists, including exenatide, liraglutide and semaglutide, mimic the action of GLP-1 and have been approved to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. These medicines also reduce rates of heart disease, kidney disease and sleep apnea, and they are being studied in people with metabolic liver disease, peripheral artery disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Drucker will discuss the current data supporting the use of these medicines and the mechanisms linking GLP-1 action to clinical benefits.
Drucker received his MD from the University of Toronto. He completed training in internal medicine and endocrinology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the University of Toronto, followed by fellowship training in molecular endocrinology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
He has received numerous international awards for his translational research and has been elected to the Order of Canada, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, Fellowship in the Royal Society (London), and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine. He was listed by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2024.
Drucker’s lecture is sponsored by the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center. For a complete schedule of Discovery Lectures, archived video of previous lectures, and the livestream link, go to https://www.vumc.org/discovery-lecture-series/upcoming-lectures.
