The EDRG consists of 75 principal researchers, post-doctoral fellows, technicians and graduate students. The group has at its disposal state-of-the-art methods and equipment for the pursuit of its studies.
Current Research Focus
- The roles of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in the pathology of diabetes
- Receptor protein structure and crystallography and ligand design
- Intestinal growth factors, receptors and signal transduction
- Fetal programming of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis
- Changes in HPA axis development associated with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
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- Electrophysiological studies of beta cell ion channels and the development of drugs that target these channels
- Molecular mechanisms of insulin exocytosis
- Microencapsulation technology and islet cell and pancreas transplantation
- Mechanisms of insulin resistance and targets for therapy
- Molecular mechanisms contributing to insulin sensitivity, and the study of insulin sensitizer drugs
Current Methods and Resources
The University of Toronto, Canada’s premier University contains cutting-edge resources and equipment needed for the studies performed by the EDRG. Several core facilities at the University and surrounding Hospitals are at the disposal of the EDRG including a full range central labs for diagnostic studies and genetic screening. Some of the core labs include transgenic and gene knockout facilities, cell imaging/ microscopy and signal transduction labs and a protein structure facility. The EDRG also contains a core pancreatic beta cell research program shared by M. Wheeler, H.Y, Gaisano, A.M. Salapatek, and A.M. Sun. This core lab is capable of a wide range of studies on the beta cell including isolation, growth , transplantation, targeted gene therapy, molecular biology and electrophysiology. The lab is ideally set-up for academic and industry partnering projects.
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