Listening to your gut: Insights from Gairdner Laureate Daniel J. Drucker

Back in the 1980s almost by fluke, a young Dr. Daniel Drucker (external link) , MD began looking into the gut. It’s never led him astray since.

The University of Toronto Professor of Medicine is a 2021 Canada Gairdner International Award (external link)  recipient, celebrating international excellence in biomedical research. The award recognized his contributions to research on gut hormones, which led to major advances in the treatment of diabetes, obesity and intestinal disorders.

On October 29, Ryerson University’s Faculty of Science hosted Drucker for a two-part lecture in which he shared his work and wisdom, gleaned from a lifetime in science.  

Revolutionary Work in Gut Hormone Therapy
After earning his MD, Drucker later headed to Harvard to research the thyroid. He discovered on arrival that the directive had changed. His new mandate: investigate GLP-1, a glucagon-like peptide gut hormone. No choice in the matter, but that unexpected pivot set Drucker on a scientific path that now defines his career.

He went on to publish the first-ever paper to describe what GLP-1 did — chiefly to control insulin which in turn maintains healthy blood sugar levels. The understanding and subsequent findings eventually helped lead to the world’s first once-weekly drug for type 2 diabetes. Now, there are many GLP-1 drugs on the market.

Drucker comments: “The new drugs were as powerful as insulin in head-to-head trials. But not only did they control blood glucose; what’s amazing are the associated impacts on weight loss, and reductions in heart attacks and strokes, which are major diabetes complications.”

Drucker also discovered the actions of GLP-2, another gut hormone that regenerates the gut lining. Since then, resulting drug treatments in the form of GLP-2 analogues have been developed to treat short bowel disorder — substantially reducing the need for patients to be fed nightly through intravenous, or eliminating it altogether.

Importance of mentors and networking
Drucker credits key influencers for providing decisive career direction and growth opportunities. Early on, Dr. Joel Habener (Harvard Medical School) gave Drucker his first shot at lab work.

“I’d never done any block of time in a lab before, but Joel had a soft spot for letting MDs into his lab and he took me on,” Drucker recalls. “I had no idea what I was doing whatsoever, but through trial and error, I eventually gained my footing.”

This year, Habener is also a co-recipient of a Gairdner International Award — former supervisor and trainee decorated together for lifetime scientific achievements. Collectively, along with the work of third co-recipient, Jens Juul Holst (University of Copenhagen), over 100 million people worldwide with Type II diabetes have been treated as a direct result of the individual and collective work of the three researchers.

Drucker advised students to reach out to find new research opportunities, which are not always immediately apparent. To open new doors, networking is key.

“It’s been challenging during the pandemic, but you need a strategy to say ‘I’m going to contact as many profs, research institutes, science departments, government programs and outreach programs as I can.’ Do your homework. Make phone calls, write letters, send emails. Don’t give up. The vast majority of professors are thrilled to have young people come. They want the next generation to succeed.”

Rejections, failures, resilience
Drucker also spoke candidly of the realities of day-to-day science.

“Stuff that works is the most interesting to talk about, but most of what we do in research doesn’t work — at least not at first. Most in the field know that it’s about constant rejections: grant applications declined, experiments failed, papers rejected. It’s unlike in school where you may do well and get patted on the back. In career, rejection comes frequently.”

His tips on coping: “Go for walks, spend time with family, do something else. You need resilience for those frustrating weeks and months of negative results. Don’t just reside within your insular circle. Speak to mentors and colleagues. Get input from others and gauge the community.”

Challenges notwithstanding, Drucker sees no end of future opportunities for young scientists.

“There are so many areas of research that will excel: artificial intelligence, big data, genetics, stem cells. I could go on for hours… Research doesn’t have to be medically relevant; that’s only one aspect. There’s much joy just in understanding how things work. That’s also fantastic science. There’s really science everywhere that makes our lives better every day.”