Dr. Bernard Zinman is a world-renowned clinical endocrinologist and internationally recognized leader in diabetes research. He currently serves as Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and holds the Stephen and Suzie Pustil Diabetes Research Scientist position at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital. As Director of the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes, he oversees one of Ontario's largest diabetes clinical research units, integrating clinical practice, research, and education to provide comprehensive care for patients. Dr. Zinman previously directed the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre from 1993 to 2000 and has maintained a distinguished career at Mount Sinai Hospital since joining in 1990, establishing himself as a pivotal figure in diabetes care and research.
Dr. Zinman served as a lead investigator in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, the largest and most comprehensive study ever conducted on type 1 diabetes, which definitively demonstrated that intensive blood glucose control dramatically reduces the risk of disabling complications. His pivotal research established a new worldwide standard of care for type 1 diabetes patients, fundamentally transforming clinical practice and improving outcomes for millions worldwide. In type 2 diabetes research, he was the first to demonstrate the cardiovascular protection and benefit of empagliflozin, a breakthrough that has significantly reduced rates of cardiovascular complications and deaths among type 2 diabetes patients. With over 550 publications in national and international journals, his work has been instrumental in shaping diabetes management guidelines globally and has been incorporated into standard clinical practice worldwide.
Dr. Zinman has profoundly influenced diabetes care through his leadership in major clinical trials, including serving as Principal Investigator for the University of Toronto Centre and Vice Chair for the DCCT/EDIC study. His research extends to understanding diabetes in Aboriginal communities, where he has conducted longitudinal studies in Sandy Lake, an isolated native community in northwestern Ontario, to address health disparities in high-risk populations. Recognized with numerous prestigious honors including appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada and the American Diabetes Association's Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Diabetes Research Award, his contributions continue to shape the field's direction. Dr. Zinman remains actively engaged in evaluating new therapies for diabetes and investigating the prevention of long-term complications, ensuring his ongoing impact on advancing diabetes care and improving patient outcomes globally.
