Barbara E. Corkey, PhD

Barbara E. Corkey has been the Zoltan Kohn Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine at Boston University. Dr. Corkey has been a leader in the fields of diabetes and obesity research for over 50 years with over 180 related publications and 40 years of continuous government research support.

The Corkey laboratory has been engaged in research on obesity and diabetes, with a particular focus on metabolic signal transduction in ß-cells, adipocytes and hepatocytes, intercellular communication via circulating redox and the role of hyperinsulinemia in obesity and diabetes. Corkey does seminal work on the molecular basis of nutrient signaling that has a major impact on our current understanding of health and disease.

Finally, Corkey has received numerous honors including the NIH MERIT Award, National Honorary Membership in Iota Sigma Pi, the National Honor Society of Women in Chemistry, Women in Science Lecturer at the Boston Museum of Science, the George Bray Founders Award of the Obesity Society, the Charles H. Best Lectureship and Award, University of Toronto and the Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement from the American Diabetes Association. A current major focus is on developing clinical/basic collaborative multi-PI grants to explore novel approaches to understand and treat metabolic diseases.