Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Diabetes is a chronic illness affecting more than 2 million Canadians. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Almost all patients with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. These patients have too much sugar in their blood because insulin, a substance in our blood that lowers blood sugar, no longer work properly for them. We still do not know what exactly causes insulin to not function properly for these patients. However, we do believe that fat cells may play an important role. In fact, the fat beneath our skin is made up of millions of small cells filled with fat. The more fat these cells have, the bigger they become. We think that when these cells become bigger, more fat can get spilled over into the blood and travel to other organs like the liver, heart, and muscles. Although, excessive exposure to fat can be toxic to these organs. When they are exposed to too much fat, insulin would no longer work properly. However, due to the technical complexity, no scientific research has been able to prove or disprove these assumptions in humans. This is exactly what our lab is doing. In my project, I will first look at the size of cells in the fat beneath the belly skin. Using sophisticated scans of the entire body, I am also able to see how organs like the liver, heart, and muscles manage the fat we eat and the fat in our blood. I will also dive deep, looking at how the factors that chance the way genes are translated can also influence fat cell size and the way our body manages fat. The results of my project will be essential to better understand the causes of type 2 diabetes. This better understanding will allow us to find ways to prevent and monitor this chronic illness. Therefore, my project will be important not only for people suffering from diabetes, but also for everyone who is at risk of getting diabetes.