Sarah Gray

Dr. Sarah Gray is a Professor in the Northern Medical Program and Research Lead at the Division of Medical Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). She holds a Canada Research Chair in the Integrative Physiology of Diabetes and Obesity. Her academic journey includes a PhD in endocrine physiology from the University of Victoria, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Cambridge and University of British Columbia. She teaches endocrine physiology in the UBC undergraduate medical program and leads a research group focusing on adipose tissue biology, energy metabolism, and metabolic disease mechanisms.

Dr. Gray’s research explores hormonal regulation of energy balance, focusing on how disrupted adipose tissue function contributes to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Her lab employs molecular biology and physiology approaches to study thermogenesis, insulin resistance, and metabolic adaptation. Key areas include PACAP signaling in thermogenesis and PPARγ’s role in adipocyte function.

Her publications (2010–2018) emphasize PACAP’s role in energy homeostasis, PPARγ mutations in metabolic disorders, and environmental toxin effects on insulin resistance. She has pioneered nanoparticle-based drug delivery for adipose-targeted therapies.

• Awards: Canada Research Chair in Integrative Physiology of Diabetes and Obesity

Dr. Gray advises graduate and undergraduate students in lab-based research and collaborates on grants related to metabolic disease. Her lab provides training opportunities in Northern BC, emphasizing translational research linking basic science to clinical implications. She is actively involved in developing innovative medical education techniques, including technology-enhanced problem-based learning.