Endowed Lectureships
Physiology hosts three prestigious Lectureships made possible by generous endowments from the Estates of Alexander Douglas Macallum and the Dr. John K. and Mrs. Mary E. Davidson family.
Archibald Byron Macallum Lectureship
Charles H. Best Lectureship and Award
John K. and Mary E. Davidson Lectureship
Archibald Byron Macallum Lectureship
The annual Archibald Byron Macallum Lecture is made possible by a bequest to the Department of Physiology from the Estate of Alexander Douglas Macallum in honour of his father, Archibald Byron Macallum, who was Chairman of this Department from 1891 to 1908. The Lectureship is awarded each year to a distinguished physiologist.
Charles H. Best Lectureship and Award
This lectureship and award, endowed by Dr. John K. and Mary E. Davidson, was established to honour Charles H. Best, a co-discoverer of insulin and Chairman of the Department of Physiology from 1929 to 1965. In addition to the discovery of insulin, Dr. Best made a number of important discoveries in endocrinology, metabolism, and other areas of medicine.
The inaugural Charles H. Best Lectureship and Award was given by Dr. Donald Steiner on November 2nd, 1995. Since, it has been given biannually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to diabetes research.
Speakers are selected by a committee made up of senior investigators in the field of endocrinology from the Department of Physiology and its affiliated members in various Toronto hospitals and research centres. The lectureship is intended to be the most prestigious international award in the field of diabetes given by the University of Toronto.
Previous Speakers
Previous Lecturers
(2000) Professor Alan Cherrington, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
(Inaugural Lecture presented in November at the Symposium entitled “Physiology 2000: A Century of Excellence”. Symposium celebrated the first Ph.D. graduate, Fredrick H. Scott, from the Department of Physiology and from the University of Toronto in 1900).
(2002) Dr. Barry I. Posner, Director, Polypeptide Hormone Lab, Professor of Medicine, McGill University. “Insulin Signaling: The Inside Story”
(2005) Dr. Domenico Accili, Director, Columbia Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Centre, The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia, NY
“Forkhead Proteins and Diabetes”
(2007) Dr. Michael W. Schwartz, Professor of Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, University of Washington
“Diabetes, Obesity and the Brain”
(2009) Dr. Bradford B. Lowell, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
“Genetic Dissection of Neural Circuits Controlling Energy Homeostasis”
(2011) Dr. Jerrold Olefsky, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean for Scientific Affairs, University of California, San Diego
"Role of Inflammation in Insuln Resistance and Diabetes"
(2012) Dr. Tamas Horvath, Director of the Yale Program in Integrative Cell Signaling & Neurobiology of Metabolism, New Haven, CT
“Hunger-Promoting Hypothalamic Neurons Regulate Higher Brain Functions and Lifespan”
(2015) Dr. Robert Sherwin, Director, Diabetes Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine
“The Brain-Glucose Connection: In Diabetes and Obesity a Double-Edged Sword”.
(2018) Dr. Debbie Thurmond, Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
“Daring to Defy Diabetes and Metabolic Dysfunction via Multi-tasking”
John K. and Mary E. Davidson Lectureship
This Lectureship, endowed by generosity of Dr. John K. and Mary E. Davidson, supports a senior investigator to present a lecture in the general area of diabetes research.
Previous Speakers
Previous Lecturers
(2000) Professor Alan Cherrington, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
(Inaugural Lecture presented in November at the Symposium entitled “Physiology 2000: A Century of Excellence”. Symposium celebrated the first Ph.D. graduate, Fredrick H. Scott, from the Department of Physiology and from the University of Toronto in 1900).
(2002) Dr. Barry I. Posner, Director, Polypeptide Hormone Lab, Professor of Medicine, McGill University. “Insulin Signaling: The Inside Story”
(2005) Dr. Domenico Accili, Director, Columbia Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Centre, The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia, NY
“Forkhead Proteins and Diabetes”
(2007) Dr. Michael W. Schwartz, Professor of Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, University of Washington
“Diabetes, Obesity and the Brain”
(2009) Dr. Bradford B. Lowell, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
“Genetic Dissection of Neural Circuits Controlling Energy Homeostasis”
(2011) Dr. Jerrold Olefsky, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean for Scientific Affairs, University of California, San Diego
"Role of Inflammation in Insuln Resistance and Diabetes"
(2012) Dr. Tamas Horvath, Director of the Yale Program in Integrative Cell Signaling & Neurobiology of Metabolism, New Haven, CT
“Hunger-Promoting Hypothalamic Neurons Regulate Higher Brain Functions and Lifespan”
(2015) Dr. Robert Sherwin, Director, Diabetes Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine
“The Brain-Glucose Connection: In Diabetes and Obesity a Double-Edged Sword”.
(2018) Dr. Debbie Thurmond, Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
“Daring to Defy Diabetes and Metabolic Dysfunction via Multi-tasking”