The discovery of insulin by Frederick Banting and Charles Best made an indelible impact on the Toronto research community just over a century ago. Today, the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre on the University of Toronto campus is their namesake, continuing to celebrate their immeasurable influence while supporting ground-breaking research in the biomedical sciences that save lives. Clinician-scientist Dr. Gary F. Lewis carries on this legacy. As Director of the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, Dr. Lewis is a trailblazer in the scientific and clinical landscape of diabetes research himself.
Dr. Lewis has dedicated his career to advancing diabetes research and serving the needs of people experiencing diabetes in his clinical work. An undisputed leader in the field, he is a Professor at the University of Toronto, Director of the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, the Sun Life Financial Chair in Diabetes, the Drucker Family Chair in Diabetes Research, a physician and the co-scientific lead of Diabetes Action Canada. His specialties span the interrelated topics of diabetes, endocrinology, internal medicine, metabolism and physiology. With his own research group, Dr. Lewis is interested in understanding what influences diabetic dyslipidemia, the state in which low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are elevated or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are low. States of higher levels of LDL and lower levels of HDL are key risk factors for conditions like stroke and coronary heart disease.
The Lewis Lab also investigates the intricacies of Type 2 diabetes, including understanding why people who experience insulin resistance experience high production of lipoproteins in the liver. While the lab has historically conducted studies in animal models and worked directly with people experiencing diabetes, it has evolved to currently focus solely on working with patients and examining clinical data. This involves examining plasma metabolites and hormone levels in patients to better understand pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Dr. Lewis is a clinician scientist, bridging the gap between basic science and clinical practice. As an endocrinologist at the University Health Network, Dr. Lewis has seen many patients’ concerns firsthand. Working with Diabetes Action Canada, patients are put at the centre of the research focus, addressing health inequities and working with the most vulnerable communities at risk for developing diabetes. Patients are involved in everything from advocacy to sharing research findings within their communities.
Dr. Lewis also recognizes the value of collaboration. Among his collaborators is Dr. Khosrow Adeli at the University of Toronto; this partnership resulted in the discovery that the liver isn’t the only organ to overproduce lipoproteins during insulin resistance, a common result of diabetes – the intestine can also do this. Findings such as this help bust the myth that diabetes is a disease of one organ, the pancreas, and help drive the field of diabetes research forward, laying foundations for new therapies that can benefit people living with diabetes.
Between his leadership in research, the clinic and knowledge translation, Dr. Lewis’ impact is inspiring the next generation of diabetes researchers and clinicians who will continue to carry on the legacy that Banting and Best started.
— Written by Swapna Mylabathula