Diabetes: From Beta Cells to Bicycles

By studying the biological differences between people from different sexes, could we find ways to improve health outcomes for women and their children? Dr. Angela Devlin is trying to find out. From gestational diabetes to the role of folate in our pancreas, she has much to share about this work.

Dr. Devlin is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, an Investigator at the BC Children's Hospital, Co-Director of the Women+ and Children’s Health Research Graduate Program at the University of British Columbia, and Director of the Healthy Starts Research Theme at the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

For far too long, biological sex differences were not factored into research projects. Scientists like Dr. Elizabeth Rideout are changing that. In this episode, Dr. Rideout, an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia's Department of Cellular and Physiological Services, explains the work her lab is doing, including studies into the different ways male and female beta cells respond to stress in type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Francis Lynn is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia.

On this episode, he and host Krista Lamb discuss his research working with beta cells and stem cells in the search for improved treatments for diabetes.

Dr. Brian Rodrigues is a Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia.

In this week's episode, Dr. Rodrigues and host Krista Lamb discuss his research into diabetes and the heart.

During diabetes, the heart switches to using fats exclusively as an energy supply. Dr. Rodrigues is interested in examining the mechanism of how fat fuels are provided to the heart and how excess fats can lead to cardiac disease. Appreciating this mechanism should allow the identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention to prevent heart failure during diabetes.

Dr. Sarah Gray is an Associate Professor in the Northern Medical Program at the University of Northern British Columbia and an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences at UBC. Dr. Gray’s work examines the biological mechanisms of metabolism as it relates to obesity and type 2 diabetes.