Michael D. Jensen

Michael D. Jensen, M.D., is a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic with a primary appointment in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition. His research focuses on obesity's impact on health, particularly adipose tissue function and its role in metabolic disorders. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Obesity and holds an honorary professorship at Aarhus University. Dr. Jensen leads studies on fatty acid metabolism, insulin resistance, and body fat distribution, employing advanced techniques including isotope dilution, biopsy analysis, and molecular biology.

• Education: BA in Biology (University of Missouri, Kansas City), MD (University of Missouri School of Medicine), and residency/fellowship training at Mayo Clinic.
• Key roles: Consultant in Endocrinology, Principal Investigator on NIH-funded projects.

His research investigates how adipose tissue dysfunction contributes to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, with a focus on regional fat distribution and metabolic pathways. Dr. Jensen has pioneered methods to measure fatty acid turnover and has developed the Adipose Tissue Analysis Toolkit (ATAT) for studying adipocyte biology.

Major awards include the George Bray Outstanding Scientific Achievements Award (2023) and the Thomas J. Watson Professorship (2013). His work bridges clinical practice and translational research, aiming to improve therapies for metabolic disorders.