Juleen Zierath

Juleen Zierath is a Professor of Clinical Integrative Physiology at Karolinska Institutet, where she leads the Integrative Physiology research group at both the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery. As a Wallenberg Scholar, she has made significant contributions to understanding how circadian rhythms influence metabolic responses to exercise and diet, particularly in the context of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Her research explores how built-in cellular clocks regulate metabolic processes and how these mechanisms are altered in type 2 diabetes. Her team has demonstrated that the timing of exercise affects blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, with evening high-intensity interval training showing greater benefits for blood sugar regulation than morning exercise. Their work spans from molecular biology to human physiology, using techniques like proteomics and metabolomics to gain comprehensive insights into metabolic regulation.

Zierath's research program reveals important connections between circadian biology and metabolic health, identifying potential targets for interventions that could mimic beneficial effects of exercise. Her publications show consistent focus on circadian regulation of metabolism, exercise physiology, and molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance across skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver. The research demonstrates how time-of-day affects metabolic responses to exercise and food intake, providing scientific basis for personalized timing of interventions.

• Diabetes Prize for Excellence (2024) from EASD and Novo Nordisk Foundation
• Wallenberg Scholar

Her work has important implications for clinical practice, suggesting that while some exercise is always better than none, timing of physical activity could be optimized based on individual circadian rhythms to maximize metabolic benefits for people with type 2 diabetes. Her team collaborates extensively within Karolinska Institutet and internationally to advance understanding of metabolic diseases and their treatment.