The Discovery of Insulin: a cure from death (due to diabetes)

One hundred years ago, Frederick Banting, MD had an idea in the middle of the night that culminated in the discovery of insulin, a ‘cure’ for certain death in patients with Type 1 diabetes. In this lecture Professor Patricia Brubaker will trace the origins of this discovery, covering not only the science and the individuals involved in this ground-breaking discovery, but also the process that led to the commercialization of insulin, enabling worldwide access to this lifesaving treatment.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr. Patricia Brubaker obtained her PhD at McGill University followed by post-doctoral studies at the University of Toronto, where she is currently Professor in the Departments of Physiology and Medicine. Since 1985, she has been actively involved in studies on the regulation and functions of several intestinal hormones, most notably glucagon-like peptide-1, used in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, and glucagon-like peptide-2, recently approved for patients with short bowel syndrome. Dr. Brubaker has published over 200 papers and trained over more than 200 students and fellows during her career. She has been supported by a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Vascular and Metabolic Biology since 2001, was inducted as a Fellow into the Royal Society of Canada in 2016, and received the Diabetes Canada Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.