Dr. Mitchell Lazar stands as a preeminent leader in the field of metabolic medicine and molecular biology, renowned for his transformative contributions to understanding the genomic regulation of metabolism. He currently holds the distinguished position of Willard and Rhoda Ware Professor of Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where he also serves as Founding Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism and Director of the Penn Diabetes Research Center. His exceptional academic journey began with an S.B. in Chemistry from MIT in 1976, followed by the completion of both his MD and PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford University in 1981-1982. After completing his clinical training in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Endocrinology at Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined the Penn faculty where he served as Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism for 24 years, establishing one of the nation's leading academic endocrinology programs.
Dr. Lazar's groundbreaking research has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the critical connections between nuclear receptor biology, circadian rhythms, and metabolic regulation. His laboratory pioneered the discovery of the circadian nuclear receptor REV-ERB and elucidated its functional interactions with corepressors that link daily biological rhythms to metabolic processes, providing crucial insights into the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders. Among his most significant contributions was the identification of resistin as an endocrine hormone that connects obesity to insulin resistance, a finding that opened new avenues for understanding the molecular basis of type 2 diabetes. His work on the nuclear receptor PPARg in adipocytes has provided essential knowledge about fat cell biology and its implications for metabolic health. These discoveries have established foundational principles that explain how genomic mechanisms govern metabolic homeostasis and how their dysregulation leads to prevalent conditions including obesity, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
As a highly influential figure in biomedical science, Dr. Lazar has received numerous prestigious accolades including the Stanley Korsmeyer Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Fred Conrad Koch Lifetime Achievement Award from the Endocrine Society. His election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2017, alongside memberships in the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, underscores the profound impact of his work on the scientific community. Dr. Lazar previously served as President of the Association of American Physicians in 2020-2021, demonstrating his leadership in shaping national biomedical research policy and priorities. He continues to advance the frontiers of metabolic research through his laboratory's innovative investigations while mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists, with his upcoming recognition through the 2025 George M. Kober Medal from the AAP affirming his enduring contributions to improving human health through scientific discovery.
