Marc Prentki

Marc Prentki is a Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine, with dual affiliation in the Departments of Nutrition and Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. He directs the Montreal Diabetes Research Center (MDRC) and focuses on pancreatic β-cell metabolism, glucolipotoxicity, and nutrient detoxification in diabetes and obesity.

• Education: PhD in Biochemistry (1980, University of Geneva); Postdoctoral work at University of Geneva (1984) and University of Pennsylvania (1986)

Research Interests: Prentki investigates metabolic signal transduction in β-cells, mechanisms of β-cell failure in type 2 diabetes, lipid signaling in obesity, and therapeutic targets like ABHD6. His work integrates rodent models, metabolomics, and industry collaborations to address both basic and translational questions.

Recent Article Trends: His 2023-2025 publications emphasize glycerolipid cycling in aging, adipose browning via ABHD6, and cross-disciplinary applications of traditional medicine in metabolic diseases. Earlier studies (2007-2016) laid foundational insights into genome-wide diabetes associations, lipid-activated oncogenes, and glucolipotoxicity.

Scientific Awards:

• Canada Research Chair (2006)
• Albert Renold Prize (2011)
• CRCHUM Excellence Prize (2015)
• Federation of European Endocrine Societies Prize (1994)

Research Funding: Grants from CIHR, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Sun Life Financial, and industry partnerships (AmorChem Fund, BioCMET Consortium) support his work on glucose-induced β-cell signaling, metabolic detoxification pathways, and novel drug targets for diabetes and obesity.

Labs & Collaborations: Prentki leads a multidisciplinary team at CRCHUM Pavillon R, focusing on metabolic diseases through both academic and pharmaceutical-industry collaborations. His lab's discoveries include ABHD6's role in nutrient detoxification and patents on new therapeutic approaches.