Jeffrey S. Flier, M.D., whose research in diabetes and obesity has led to a greater understanding of insulin and leptin resistance, and to obesity's role in causing the metabolic syndrome (characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin-resistant diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension), will serve as supervisor and principal investigator of the grant. Dr. Flier is Chief Academic Officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and George C. Reisman Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Simeon Taylor, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of Cardiovascular and Metabolics Discovery Biology at Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, presented a commemorative plaque and a symbolic check for $500,000 to Dr. Flier at a reception on October 1, 2003 at the Medical Center. Guests included Paul Levy, president and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Martin, dean of Harvard Medical School, and faculty and staff.
Dr. Taylor praised the discoveries and insights provided by Dr. Flier in the field of metabolic research. "Through his discovery of autoantibodies to the insulin receptor and mutations of the insulin receptor gene, Dr. Flier identified one of the mechanisms responsible for insulin resistance," said Dr. Taylor. "He used transgenic and gene knockout models to test hypotheses regarding insulin resistance and the role of brown adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of obesity. Recently, he and his group have clarified the mechanism of action and physiologic role of the fat-derived hormone leptin. They have demonstrated that leptin not only regulates appetite, but also serves as a regulator of the neuroendocrine axis for reproductive, thyroid and adrenal control. Dr. Flier has created a dynamic team at Beth Israel Deaconess and we are very pleased to add our support to this exciting work."
"The unrestricted grant from Bristol Myers Squibb is providing the opportunity for my lab to examine new hypotheses regarding the control of body weight," said Dr. Flier. "Being freed of the considerations imposed by more typical sources of funding will enable us to take greater risks when it comes to investigating new ideas and examining new pathways, and we're all excited to see the outcomes that these investigations will yield."
Jeffrey Flier received a B.S. from City College of New York in 1968 and an M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1972, graduating with the Elster Award for Highest Academic Standing. Following training in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital from 1972 to 1974, Dr. Flier moved to the National Institutes of Health as a Clinical Associate. In 1978, he joined the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, serving as Chief of the Diabetes Unit at Beth Israel Hospital before attaining his present positions at Beth Israel Deaconess and Harvard.
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Unrestricted Biomedical Research Grants Program, which is administered through the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, offers the world's premier research institutions the opportunity to pursue new clinical and laboratory findings, support promising young scientists, or acquire new laboratory technology – with no strings attached. The unrestricted nature of the grants allows institutions to put the support where it is most needed and gives scientists the freedom to pursue uncharted paths.
The Unrestricted Metabolic Grants Program is one of six such programs that support research in the fields of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, neuroscience and nutrition. Since the initiation of the unrestricted grants program 26 years ago, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has committed over $100 million to the program, awarding 240 grants to more than 150 institutions in 23 countries worldwide.
Each of the six Unrestricted Biomedical Research Grants Programs also consists of an annual award for distinguished achievement to an individual researcher. As supervisor of an unrestricted metabolic research grant, Dr. Flier is a member of the independent Selection Committee that selects the winner of the annual $50,000 Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Metabolic Research.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a major patient care, teaching, and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School. The medical center is clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global pharmaceutical and related health care products company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life.
On the World Wide Web visit Bristol-Myers Squibb at www.bms.com/foundation/awards.html and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at www.bidmc.harvard.edu/