Bernard Langer Annual Lecture in Health Sciences

Dr. Bernard Langer UofT IMS keynote scientific day

The keynote lecture was established to honour the achievements of Dr. Bernard Langer in establishing the Surgeon-Scientist training program at the University of Toronto during his tenure as Chair of the Department of Surgery from 1982 -1992.

Each year, a guest speaker is selected to give a talk at IMS Scientific Day who is internationally recognized for their scientific contributions and is also known to be an excellent role model and mentor for graduate students.

Daniel Drucker

2023 Keynote Lecturer:

Daniel Drucker, MD

"The therapeutic promise of the enteroendocrine cell for cardiometabolic disorders"

Dr. Drucker is a Senior Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, and a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Regulatory Peptides and the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre-Novo Nordisk Chair in Incretin Biology.

A pioneer in diabetes treatment, Dr. Drucker's work has provided important insights leading to the development of new drugs for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Currently, his laboratory  focuses on understanding the molecular biology and physiology of glucagon-like peptides.

Dr. Drucker has received many national and international awards in recognition of his research accomplishments revealing the mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential of enteroendocrine hormones.

Previous Lecturers 

  • 2022: Dr. Gelareh Zadeh - Clinically Relevant Molecular Data Driving Surgical Management for Brain Tumors
  • 2021: Dr. Jeff Biernaskie - Deciphering the cellular and transcriptional recipe enabling skin regeneration
  • 2019: Dr. Dongeun Dan Huh - Microengineered physiological bio-mimicry: Human organs-on-chips
  • 2018: Dr. Stefan-M. Pulst - Targeting Ataxin-2 as a strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases
  • 2017: Dr. Marina Picciotto - Vaping and the baby brain – what can studies of nicotine tell us about brain development?
  • 2016: Dr. Victor Dzau - Healing and Regenerating Hearts: 21st Century Prometheus?
  • 2015: Dr. Christopher P. Austin - Catalyzing Translational Innovation
  • 2014: Dr. James P. Landers - Rapid and Affordable Microfluidic Systems for Genetic Analysis: Are We on Track for the Personalized Medicine Era?
  • 2013: Dr. Jeffrey S. Mogil - Mice are People Too: Translation in Pain Research from Genetics to Social Modulation
  • 2012: Dr. Thomas R. Insel - Lost in Translation: Opportunities and Challenges for Translating Scientific Discoveries into Better Health
  • 2011: Dr. Andrew Feinberg - The Epigenetic Basis of Common Human Disease
  • 2010: Dr. Kevin J. Tracey Reflex Control of Immunity
  • 2009: Dr. Polly Matzinger - Immunity is a conversation, not a war