Diabetes researcher honored with prestigious Novartis prize

John E. Gerich, M.D., professor of Medicine and program director of the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center, has been awarded the Novartis Prize for Long-Standing Achievement in Diabetes.

Gerich accepted the honor and a $25,000 award at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in Chicago in late June. A gala dinner and ceremony were held at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Novartis Prize recognizes Gerich’s scientific accomplishments in the fields of regulation of glucose metabolism and the disease development of Type 2 diabetes, as well as his training of nearly 50 fellows, many of whom have gone on to successful research careers.

Gerich is the author of about 500 research papers. He has served on numerous editorial boards and is currently editor of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, North and South America.

A leading researcher in his field, he has received the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association, the Rumbrough Research Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the J.D. Lane Award for Scientific Research from the United States Public Health Service, the Rolf Luft Award from the Karolinska Institute, the Stadie Award from the Pennsylvania Diabetes Association, and the Ricardo Fernando Medal from the Philippine Society of Diabetologists.

Before coming to the University of Rochester Medical Center in the early 1990s, Gerich held faculty positions at the University of California, San Diego and San Francisco; the University of Pittsburgh; and Mayo Medical School.