FRANZ M. MATSCHINKSY, M.D.

Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
12-125 Smilow Center for Translational Research
3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5160
215-898-1971
matsch@mail.med.upenn.edu

M.D. Ludwig-Maximalian University (1958)
M.S. University of Pennsylvania (1978)

DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH INTERESTS:

The laboratory investigates the biochemical basis of fuel sensing by pancreatic islet cells, in particular the molecular mechanisms by which amino acid, fatty acid and glucose regulate insulin and glucagon release. Glucose sensing in anterior pituitary gonadotropes and the regulation of hepatic intermediary metabolism by glucose are related topics we study. The "glucokinase glucose sensor concept" is central to all these research directions. The endocrine, neural and pharmacological modification of fuel stimulated insulin and glucagon release is another focus of the laboratory. The biochemical basis of human hypo-and hyperglycemia syndromes linked to the genes of glucokinase (GK) and the GK regulatory protein (GKRP) and caused by more than 600 mutations of the GK gene or by close to a dozen mutations of the GKRP gene, continues to be a topic of intense interest. A newly discovered class of pharmacological agents called GK activators (GKAs) which function as non essential allosteric activators of GK are studied with recombinant human wildtype and mutant GKs . The action of GKAs is studied with GK expressing cells isolated from pancreatic islets, the pituitary and the liver and also in the intact organism to assess the therapeutic potential of GKAs for the treatment of type II and perhaps type I diabetes.

Honors:

2011	Paul E. Lacy Medal, Midwest-Islet Club, Madison WI
2004	Alberto Sols Honorary Lecture, Malaga, Spain
2003	Osamu Hayaishi Honorary Lecture (IUB), Sendai, Japan
2000	Arnold Lazarow Memorial Lecture, U of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
1998	Ray A. and Robert L. Kroc Lectureship, U of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
1996	Paul-Langerhans-Plakette, Basel, Switzerland
1995	The Banting Medal, American Diabetes Association, Atlanta, GA
1993	Ray A. and Robert L. Kroc Lectureship, U of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
1992	Elliott P. Joslin Memorial Lecture, Worcester, MA
1991	The Herman O. Mosenthal Memorial Lecture, New York, NY
1988	Ray A. and Robert L. Kroc Lectureship, Boston U Med Cntr, Boston, MA
1988	The Solomon Berson Lecture, 13th IDF Congress, Sydney, Australia
1988	William Stadie Memorial Lecture, Philadelphia, PA
1984 – 2004	Benjamin Rush Prof of Biochem and Biophys, U of Pennsylvania
1982 – 1984	Hearing Research Study Section, Member, NIH
1975 – 1980	Established Investigator of the American Diabetes Association
1976 – 1982	Metabolism Study Section, Member, NIH
1969 – 1973	USPHS Career Development Award (NIGMS)
1953 – 1958	Scholarship from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes

 

EDITORIAL POSITIONS:

2001 – 2006	Editor-in-Chief, DIABETES
1972 – 1978	Associate Editor, DIABETES

 

ACADEMIC POSTIONS:

1984 – 1993	Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
1978 – 1998	Director of Diabetes Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
1978 – present	Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA
1971 – 1978	Professor of Pharmacology, Washington University St. Louis Missouri