Sinai Health

Daniel Drucker among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 19:16:55 +0000

Daniel Drucker among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people

Research & Innovation

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 04/17/2024 - 15:16

Faculty

St. George

Sinai Health

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

landscape

Daniel Drucker (photo by Polina Teif)

Endocrinologist Daniel Drucker is part of a team of researchers recognized by Time magazine for their roles in advancing next-generation treatments for diabetes and weight loss.

Drucker, a senior investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, and a University Professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, shares a spot on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2024 with Joel Habener of Harvard University and Svetlana Mojsov of Rockefeller University.

The scientists were honoured for their contributions to the development of a new class of drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, based on their discoveries about gut hormones known as glucagon-like peptides.

These medications, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, help manage blood sugar levels by boosting insulin production and reducing the liver’s release of sugar.

“Drucker’s experiments pinpointed the specific parts of GLP-1 responsible for affecting insulin levels,” the magazine said. “Now GLP-1-based medications are approved in the U.S. to treat diabetes and obesity, and to reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Drucker, who has been recognized with a Gairdner International Award and Wolf Prize for his work, is currently exploring other potential health benefits, including reducing inflammation in chronic metabolic diseases.

Thirteen �鶹��Ƶ researchers named Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

lanthierj — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:47:27 +0000

Thirteen �鶹��Ƶ researchers named Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Wed, 09/20/2023 - 11:47

Faculty

St. George

Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Sinai Health

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

UHN

Unity Health

landscape

Thirteen University of Toronto researchers have been named Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) in recognition of their leadership, creativity and commitment to advancing academic health sciences.

One of three national academies that make up the Council of Canadian Academies, the CAHS leverages the expertise of Canada’s leading health sciences researchers to evaluate Canada's most urgent and complex health challenges and recommend strategic, actionable solutions. To be named a CAHS Fellow is considered one of the highest distinctions for academics in the health sciences field in Canada.

“The University of Toronto congratulates these leading researchers on this important recognition of their work,” says Barbara Fallon, �鶹��Ƶ’s associate vice-president, research. “This reaffirms what we saw in the recent Nature rankings, which placed �鶹��Ƶ second in the world among health sciences research universities, and the recent NTU rankings, which placed �鶹��Ƶ second among the world’s top research universities in the category of medicine.

“Across disciplines, fuelled by the collaboration between the 14 research hospitals in the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN), these researchers are making discoveries and advancements that have a real impact on the some of the most complex health challenges facing Canadians.”

The new Fellows are:

Evdokia Anagnostou, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Paediatrics)
Ahmed Bayoumi, Unity Health and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Medicine)
Patricia Brubaker, Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Physiology)
Leah Cowen, Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Molecular Genetics)
Neeru Gupta, Unity Health and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Opthalmology & Vision Sciences)
Mojgan Hodaie, University Health Network (UHN) and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Surgery)
John Kingdom, Sinai Health and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
Cheryl Regehr, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Catherine Sabiston, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
Samir Sinha, Sinai Health and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Medicine)
Lillian Siu, UHN and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Medicine)
Yu Sun, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering)
Michael Tymianski, UHN and Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Surgery)

See the complete list of new Fellows

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Daniel Drucker awarded 2023 Wolf Prize in Medicine

lanthierj — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 21:03:25 +0000

Daniel Drucker awarded 2023 Wolf Prize in Medicine

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Fri, 02/10/2023 - 16:03

Faculty

St. George

Wolf Prize

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Sinai Health

Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

landscape

Daniel Drucker, a senior scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, and a professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine has been honoured with the 2023 Wolf Prize for medicine.

“We are very excited to have our science highlighted by the Wolf Foundation; this is terrific recognition for dozens of trainees and lab staff who have made important contributions over the years,” Drucker says.

Drucker was recognized for his research on the physiology and therapeutic potential of glucagon-like peptides, hormones produced in the gut that now form the basis for several highly effective drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, obesity and intestinal disorders.

The Wolf Prize is awarded annually to scientists and artists from around the world, for their achievements in the interest of humanity and friendly relations among peoples. Eight laureates from five countries were honoured this year, and will receive a certificate and US $100,000 at a ceremony in Israel this June.

Drucker joins three other �鶹��Ƶ faculty members who have received the Wolf Prize since its inception in 1978: John Polanyi (department of chemistry, 1982), Anthony Pawson (department of molecular genetics, 2005) and James Arthur (department of mathematics, 2015).

“The University of Toronto congratulates Dan Drucker on this latest recognition of his important work,” says Leah Cowen, �鶹��Ƶ’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “His commitment to scientific discovery, his decades of meticulous work and dedication to improving the lives of patients have led to new treatments that have truly made a global impact.”

Sinai Health

Daniel Drucker among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people

Read more at Time magazine

Thirteen �鶹��Ƶ researchers named Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

See the complete list of new Fellows

Daniel Drucker awarded 2023 Wolf Prize in Medicine

Read more about the Wolf Prize