Robert Sladek
MD
Dr. Sladek is Associate Professor of Human Genetics and Medicine (Endocrinology) at the McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre. He completed undergraduate degrees in Engineering Science and Medicine and a fellowship in clinical Endocrinology, all at the University of Toronto. His postdoctoral training identified novel transcription factors that regulate fat metabolism and developed high-throughput genomics technologies to study complex metabolic traits. Rob’s current research focuses on learning how genetic mutations cause diabetes and other complex diseases. He leads the Diabetes Gene Discovery Group a project to identify risk loci for Type 2 diabetes that was sponsored by Genome Canada and Génome Quebec, which has developed new approaches to identify genetic changes across the whole human genome that are associated with Type 2 Diabetes. This research resulted in publication of the first Genome-Wide Association study for Type 2 Diabetes, a paper which has served as a model for identifying genetic causes of many other complex diseases. This work has been recognized by several awards, including a Canadian Institute of Health Research New Investigator Award (2011), Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec Chercheur-boursier Junior 1 and 2 awards, the Canadian Society of Clinical Investigation Joe Doupe Award (2011) and the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism Young Investigator Award (2009). Current projects in Rob’s lab include developing new techniques to learn how genetic changes within individual genes and proteins impair cell metabolism and cause diabetes. Reflecting the increasing impact of diabetes and obesity on global health, much of his group’s research takes place as part of research teams that involve scientists in America, Europe and Asia.