Kei Sakamoto, a Programme Leader in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit at Dundee has been selected to receive the New Investigator Award for 2007 from the Endocrinology and Metabolism Section of the American Physiological Society. The prize of US$1000 plus free registration at the Society's Annual Meeting 'recognizes an outstanding investigator in the early stages of his/her career.' Kei will receive the award and certificate of recognition on Monday April 30th 2007 in Washington DC.
Kei's interest in exercise physiology was kindled as an undergraduate, when he was a finalist in the National Aerobic Dance Competition in Japan. Later he obtained a Master's degree specialising in exercise physiology, which stimulated him to understand the molecular signaling mechanisms by which exercise mediates its beneficial effects on type 2 diabetics. After completing a Ph.D. with Laurie Goodyear at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Kei joined Dario Alessi's laboratory in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit at Dundee as a postdoctoral researcher in 2003. Working with Dario, Kei generated muscle-specific LKB1 knock-out mice and provided evidence that the LKB1-AMPK pathway plays a key role in controlling energy balance and glucose uptake in muscle during exercise. He has been instrumental in setting up the Unit's Laboratory of Molecular Physiology and was recently promoted to Programme Leader by the Medical Research Council.
Commenting on the award, Kei said:-
'It is a great honour to receive such a prestigious award from the American Physiological Society. I will make every effort to set up a 'state-of-art' molecular physiology laboratory within the Unit and aim to attract young talented physiologists to Dundee.'
Kei's interest in exercise physiology was kindled as an undergraduate, when he was a finalist in the National Aerobic Dance Competition in Japan. Later he obtained a Master's degree specialising in exercise physiology, which stimulated him to understand the molecular signaling mechanisms by which exercise mediates its beneficial effects on type 2 diabetics. After completing a Ph.D. with Laurie Goodyear at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Kei joined Dario Alessi's laboratory in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit at Dundee as a postdoctoral researcher in 2003. Working with Dario, Kei generated muscle-specific LKB1 knock-out mice and provided evidence that the LKB1-AMPK pathway plays a key role in controlling energy balance and glucose uptake in muscle during exercise. He has been instrumental in setting up the Unit's Laboratory of Molecular Physiology and was recently promoted to Programme Leader by the Medical Research Council.
Commenting on the award, Kei said:-
'It is a great honour to receive such a prestigious award from the American Physiological Society. I will make every effort to set up a 'state-of-art' molecular physiology laboratory within the Unit and aim to attract young talented physiologists to Dundee.'