GLP-1: From a Putative Peptide to Effective Medicines for Diabetes and Obesity
Event Details
- Type
- Monday Lecture Series
- Speaker(s)
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Svetlana Mojsov, Ph.D., Lulu Chow Wang and Robin Chemers Neustein Research Associate Professor, The Rockefeller University
- Speaker bio(s)
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In the 1960’s and 1970’s there was great interest in understanding the role of peptides in glucose metabolism. Endocrinologists were especially interested in incretins, peptides that are secreted in the intestine that stimulate insulin release from the pancreatic β-cell when we eat a meal and thereby regulate glucose metabolism. A parallel area of research was to understand the biology of glucagon, a peptide secreted by the pancreatic α-cell that stimulates increase in glucose levels in the bloodstream.
In her lecture Mojsov will describe her work that led to the discovery of the biologically active sequence of GLP-1 as a 31 amino acid long GLP-1(7-37) and established that GLP-1(7-37) is an incretin with therapeutic potential to treat Type 2 diabetes. She will place her studies in the context of the work of other investigators who contributed to understanding of GLP-1 biology.
Svetlana Mojsov graduated from the University of Belgrade in 1971 with a degree in physical chemistry. She was admitted to the graduate program at the Rockefeller University in 1972 and joined the laboratory of Professor Bruce Merrifeld. Mojsov obtained a PhD in 1978 and remained in the Merrifield group as a Postdoctoral and Research Associate.
In 1983 she was appointed a member of the Endocrine Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and inaugural director of Howard Hughes Medical Institute peptide core facility at the MGH. Her research between 1983 and 1990 at the Endocrine unit established that GLP-1 is an incretin with therapeutic potential for treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
In 1990 Mojsov returned to the Rockefeller University as Assistant Professor in the laboratory of Dr. Ralph Steinman and continued to work on GLP-1. She was promoted to Research Associate Professor in 2002 and is currently Lulu Chow Wang and Robin Chemers Neustein Research Associate Professor.
- Open to
- Campus Only