Why does obesity increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease—and what if part of the answer lies in how our bodies choose their fuel?

Join Dr. John Ussher for a compelling exploration of how the body’s energy-burning machinery changes in the context of obesity and prediabetes. His research uncovers a surprising metabolic shift: when the body gains excess fat mass, the muscles increasingly rely on ketones—a fuel normally reserved for fasting or starvation. This heightened ketone use doesn’t help; instead, it worsens blood sugar control and contributes to the development of diabetes.

This webinar offers an accessible look at innovative research reshaping how scientists think about fuel metabolism, obesity, and diabetes treatment. Learn how this groundbreaking research is redefining our understanding of fuel metabolism and opening new possibilities for preventing and treating obesity-related diabetes.

Speaker

John Ussher, ‘10 PhD, carried out his PhD training with Dr. Gary Lopaschuk at the University of Alberta, where he acquired expertise in the molecular regulation of cardiac energy metabolism. Following his PhD training, John trained with Dr. Daniel Drucker at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at the University of Toronto to acquire expertise in the biology of the gut hormone, GLP-1, and how GLP-1 influences the cardiovascular system. He is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the U of A, where his lab investigates the mechanisms by which obesity-related alterations in energy metabolism contribute to increasing a person's risk for both type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and whether these mechanisms represent novel targets for pharmacotherapy.