Charlotte Green, a graduate student co-supervised by Harinder Hundal (Division of Molecular Physiology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee) and Kei Sakamoto (MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit), successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Insulin sensitivity and fatty acid induced lipotoxicity: the role of PKB and AMPK signaling" on October 7th 2009. Charlotte gave an excellent lecture on her research, which was followed by a two hour 'viva', this oral examination being conducted by external examiner Professor Bente Pedersen, Director of the Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and internal examiner Professor Mike Ashford of the Biomedical Research Institute, University of Dundee Medical School. After this comprehensive and exhausting examination, Charlotte emerged from the room with a smile and the party started.

Charlotte, Harinder and Kei are grateful to Diabetes UK for providing the PhD studentship and research consumables that made this project possible.