Grant: Chair: CIHR Sex and Gender Science Chair - Genetics

Millions of Canadians suffer from diseases linked with abnormal insulin pathway function (e.g. type 2 diabetes). One important risk factor for diseases caused by abnormal insulin pathway function is whether you are a man or a woman: men have a higher risk of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes. While scientists know the insulin pathway is different in men and women, and that these differences are one reason men have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, we know very few genes that cause insulin pathway differences in men and women due to the widespread neglect of female animals in research. Since the number of Canadians suffering from insulin-associated diseases like type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly, finding genes that control the insulin pathway in each sex will lead to better therapies for insulin-associated diseases. In my lab, we use the fruit fly as an innovative model to find genes that control the insulin pathway in males and females. Flies have two sexes, like humans, and all the genes in the human insulin pathway are also found in flies. In fact, many important discoveries about how the insulin pathway works have been made in flies. Our study will use flies to find all the genes that control insulin pathway function in each sex - this large-scale genetic analysis is not feasible in mice or humans. These genes will guide pre-clinical and clinical studies in finding new treatments to correct abnormal insulin pathway function in each sex. By completing these studies, we will also build capacity in Canada to study the insulin pathway in male and female animals. This involves training the next generation of researchers studying the insulin pathway in both sexes by providing funding for students, by promoting awareness of sex differences in the insulin pathway by presenting at conferences and public events, and by forming strategic partnerships to enhance funding in this critical area.