Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Congratulations to Prof Mark McCarthy who has won the 2016 Jacobæus Prize, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of type 2 diabetes genetics. Prof McCarthy has played a central role in the discovery of type 2 diabetes ‘risk genes’ – both as a basic researcher and as a leading figure in international consortia.

Logo of Novo Nordisk (University of Oxford).

Talking about his work, Prof McCarthy said, “For about one third of the 100 DNA sequences associated with the risk of developing diabetes, we have achieved some understanding of the disturbances they cause in cells and organs. But we are striving to fully reconstruct the complete network of genetic risk and its consequences, and there is still much work to be done.” Prof McCarthy hopes that this research will contribute to improving the prospects of developing diagnostic tests and medicine.

The Jacobæus Prize is awarded annually by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and celebrates excellence in physiology and endocrinology. Prof McCarthy will be giving the key note lecture, entitled "Genomics of Diabetes - What's Next?" at the annual award ceremony on 18 May in Bergen.