Professor Kei Sakamoto receives EASD-NNF Diabetes Prize for Excellence
Professor Kei Sakamoto will deliver his prize lecture on September 30 the 62nd EASD Annual Meeting.
Vice Executive Director Professor Kei Sakamoto’s pioneering research has uncovered fundamental mechanisms by which cells sense and integrate metabolic signals, advancing our understanding of glucose homeostasis, exercise metabolism, and the development of innovative therapies for type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic disease.
In recognition of this work, he receives the European Association for the Study of Diabetes-Novo Nordisk Foundation Diabetes Prize for Excellence.
”I am deeply grateful to receive this prestigious award. This recognition is not only a personal honour but also a tribute to the exceptional mentors, students, postdoctoral fellows, colleagues, and collaborators who have accompanied and enriched my scientific journey. Science is a collective endeavour, driven by curiosity, passion, and collaboration. I feel incredibly fortunate to have shared this journey with so many talented and dedicated people,” says Kei.
Among his landmark discoveries, Kei provided the first genetic evidence establishing LKB1 as the physiologically relevant upstream regulator of AMPK, revealing the molecular mechanism by which energetic stress, including exercise, stimulates glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. This work laid the foundation for positioning the LKB1-AMPK pathway as a key therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. He also redefined the mechanism of action of metformin, one of the world's most widely used diabetes medicines, by demonstrating that it suppresses hepatic glucose production through inhibition of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase.
Professor Kei Sakamoto will deliver his prize lecture on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 16:30 CEST during the 62nd EASD Annual Meeting.