Research summary
Obesity is a key driver of type 2 diabetes, and the prevalence of both is on the rise globally. Dr. Alexandre Caron, Canada Research Chair in Neurometabolic Pharmacology, is developing new tools to treat metabolic diseases like these.
Caron’s research is based on the concept that obesity and type 2 diabetes are diseases of the autonomic nervous system—the result of miscommunication between the brain and the body’s metabolic organs. Using a multidisciplinary approach that combines state-of-the-art techniques in neuroscience, pharmacology, chemogenetics, optogenetics and metabolic analyses, he and his team are shaping an entirely new research field. They hope to bring forward breakthroughs and treatments that will have a direct impact on health research and clinical practice in Canada.