Untitled Document

Michael R. Rickels

Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Department: Medicine

Contact information

12-134 Translational Research Center
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, Pa 19104

Office: (215) 746-0025
Fax: (215) 898-5408

Education:
B.A. (Mathematics major & Biology minor, Summa Cum Laude)
Colgate University , 1995.
M.D. (Top of the class)
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1999.
M.S. (Translational Research)
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2007.

Post-Graduate Training
Intern, Department of Medicine , Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1999-2000.
Resident, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2000-2001.
Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2001-2003.

Permanent link

Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Rickels conducts patient-oriented diabetes research that aims at understanding the in vivo mechanisms of new diabetes treatments. Dr. Rickels' studies involve methodologies for quantifying insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, and glucose counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia, and include the frequently-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test, the glucose-potentiated arginine test, and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic and hypoglycemic clamps. Present work is directed at the effects of isolated islet or whole pancreas transplantation on insulin secretion and sensitivity in type 1 diabetic subjects, the effects of islet transplantation on glucose counterregulatory defenses against hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetic subjects, the effects of the incretin hormone GLP-1 on insulin secretion in islet and pancreas transplant recipients, and the effects on insulin secretion of different strategies for enhancing GLP-1 effects in type 2 diabetes.

Description of Clinical Expertise

Dr. Rickels specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, hypoglycemia disorders, and general endocrinologic problems. Dr. Rickels predominantly cares for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and is particularly interested in islet and pancreas transplantation as therapies for type 1 diabetes. Dr. Rickels presently serves as Medical Director for the Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation program.

Selected Publications

Rickels MR, Mueller R, Markmann JF, Naji A: Effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 on beta- and alpha-cell function in isolated islet and whole pancreas transplant recipients. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 94(1): 181-189, January 2009.

Rickels MR, Collins HW, Naji A: Amyloid and transplanted islets. New England Journal of Medicine (letter) 359(25): 2729-2731, December 2008.

Rickels MR, Naji A, Teff KL: Acute insulin responses to glucose and arginine as predictors of beta-cell secretory capacity in human islet transplantation. Transplantation 84(10): 1357-1360, November 2007.

Rickels MR, Kamoun M, Kearns J, Markmann JF, Naji A: Evidence for allograph rejection in an islet transplant recipient and effect on beta-cell secretory capacity. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 92(7): 2410-2414, July 2007.

Rickels MR, Schutta MH, Mueller R, Kapoor S, Markmann JF, Naji A, Teff KL: Glycemic thresholds for activation of counterregulatory hormone and symptom responses in islet transplant recipients. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 92(3): 873-879, March 2007.

Rickels MR, Kearns J, Markmann E, Palanjian M, Markmann JF, Naji A, Kamoun M: HLA sensitization in islet transplantation. Clinical Transplants 2006. Cecka JM, Terasaki PI (eds.). UCLA Tissue Typing Laboratory, Los Angles, CA, Chapter 34: 413-420, 2007.

Rickels MR, Naji A, Teff KL: Insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, and free fatty acid dynamics after human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 91(6): 2138-2144, June 2006.

Rickels MR, Schutta MH, Mueller R, Markmann JF, Barker CF, Naji A, Teff KL: Islet cell hormonal responses to hypoglycemia after human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 54(11): 3205-3211, November 2005.

Rickels MR, Schutta MH, Markmann JF, Barker CF, Naji A, Teff KL: Beta-cell function following human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 54(1): 100-106, January 2005.

Rickels MR, Mandel SJ: Hypocalciuric hypercalcemia and autoantibodies against the calcium-sensing receptor. New England Journal of Medicine (letter) 351: 2237-2238, November 2004.