BOSTON – (May 4, 2015) – The American Diabetes Association (ADA) announced today that George L. King, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President at Joslin Diabetes Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will receive the 2015 Edwin Bierman Award at the ADA’s 75th Scientific Sessions in Boston, Massachusetts. The Edwin Bierman Award is presented annually to a leading scientist in the field of macrovascular complications. Dr. King is one of three Joslin recipients to receive an award at the 75th Scientific Sessions.

This award is given in memory of Edwin L. Bierman, M.D., a scientist, mentor and leader in the field of diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis research. Each year, this award recognizes a leading scientist who has made exceptional achievements in the field of diabetes-related macrovascular complications and related risk factors and who also serves as a mentor to other diabetes researchers.

“I am honored to receive this award and to have my research at Joslin recognized by the ADA,” said Dr. King. “Dr. Bierman was also one of my mentors during my residency at the University of Washington, so it is especially humbling to receive this award.” 

Dr. King will deliver the Edwin Bierman Lecture “Can Insulin’s Vascular Actions be Anti-Atherogenic?” on Sunday, June 7.

Every year the ADA holds its annual Scientific Sessions, which is the largest diabetes meeting in the world, bringing together nearly 14,000 diabetes researchers and clinicians from 124 countries. The five-day meeting showcases timely and significant advances in basic science into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of diabetes.

In addition to serving as the Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. King is also the Head of the Section on Vascular Cell Biology at Joslin. He has published over 270 papers and multiple books, including his most recent book The Diabetes Reset, and holds several patents. Dr. King’s research focuses on unearthing the causes of diabetic complications by exploring insulin actions on blood vessels, discovering factors and new treatments for diabetic complications, and understanding the reasons for the high rate of diabetes in Asian Americans. 

Dr. King has received numerous awards, including the Donald Silver Excellence in Research Award from the JDRF, the Cogan Award from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, as well as the Harold Amos Diversity Award from Harvard Medical School and the Chinese American Medical Society Scientific Award. Recently, Dr. King, along with several other scientists, was awarded the Champalimaud Award for Vision in 2014, which is the most prestigious award in the field of vison research.

Dr. King has been active in the ADA for over 30 years. His various roles include Scientific Review Committees, Editorial Boards and Associate Editor of Diabetes, New England ADA Chapter, Asian Pacific American Diabetes Action Council (APADAC) Advocacy Committee, Chair of Council on Complications Section, Program Committee of the annual meeting and chair of many annual ADA meetings and symposiums. In January 2013, he became a member of the ADA National Board of Directors. 

In 2005, Dr. King received the 32nd Annual Person of the Year Award from the Chinese Hospital of San Francisco Board of Trustees and Medical Staff.  Dr. King was appointed a 3-year term by the Massachusetts Senate in 2007 as a Member of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Citizens of Asian Descent. In 2011, Dr. King was appointed as the co-chair for the national organization of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders Diabetes Coalition which was co-sponsored by ADA. 

Dr. King received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine.  After his residency at the University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals in Seattle, he completed training as both a Research and a Clinical Associate at the National Institutes of Health.  He came to Joslin and Harvard Medical School in 1981.

“Dr. King’s outstanding research efforts in the macrovascular field and his leadership as our Research Director and Chief Scientific Officer certainly merits the pioneering work of Dr. Bierman, who was an exemplary scientist, mentor and leader in the field of diabetes,” said John L. Brooks III, President and CEO of Joslin Diabetes Center.

The other recipients include Lori Laffel, M.D., M.P.H., Chief of the Section on Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Diabetes at Joslin Diabetes Center and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, who will receive the 2015 Outstanding Physician-Clinician Award, and Osama Hamdy, M.D., Ph.D, FACE, Medical Director of the Obesity Clinical Program at Joslin and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, who will receive the 2015 Michaela Modan Memorial Award.

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