2025 Drucker-Reitman Innovation Awards recognize advances in obesity and proteomics research

The awards were established through a generous donation from the Drucker and Reitman families following Dr. Daniel Drucker’s receipt of the 2021 Gairdner International Award. Dr. Drucker, a senior investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI), part of Sinai Health, is globally renowned for his pioneering research on gut hormone GLP-1, which led to transformative therapies for diabetes and obesity.

Diversity gaps in obesity trials 

While GLP-1 therapies have transformed diabetes and obesity care globally, Dr. Jeyakumar’s work reveals that their benefits are not equally accessible due to a disparity rooted in how clinical trials are designed and conducted. Working as a clinical fellow with Dr. Caroline Kramer, an endocrinologist and clinician scientist at Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes, Dr. Jeyakumar conducted a review of twenty-seven major clinical trials assessing the effect of GLP-1 based medicines in treating obesity. She found that most trial participants, or seventy-nine percent, were white/Caucasians. Meanwhile, Black, Asian, Indigenous, and Hispanic populations, which are groups that are disproportionately affected by obesity, were significantly underrepresented. Indigenous peoples made up just two per cent of participants, despite having some of the highest rates of obesity globally.  

Dr. Jeyakumar also found that 84 per cent of trial sites were in high-income countries, even though most people living with obesity are in low- and middle-income nations. She says that this imbalance risks widening health inequities because the very populations most burdened by obesity and its complications may benefit least from cutting-edge therapies. Beyond blood sugar control and weight loss, GLP-1 medicines also reduce heart risks and are being trialed for a whole host of other diseases. “GLP-1 drugs hold promise for millions, but to ensure fair and effective care, future research must include the full spectrum of people affected by obesity so that the results of the trials can be applicable to our patients,” said Dr. Jeyakumar, whose findings were published in BMJ Global Health. Receiving the award, she added, has been “a tremendous honor” and an inspiration for her ongoing fellowship research. 

Mapping protein interactions in health and disease

Dr. Al Mismar is recognized for developing a novel approach that captures fleeting interactions between proteins residing on the cell surface. These include contacts between the so-called receptors that regulate cell function and, when disrupted, drive diseases including cancer. Working in the laboratory of Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras, director of LTRI and vice president of research at Sinai Health, she adapted a technique traditionally used inside cells to study interactions occurring on its surface. In this new approach, called ecTurboID, a chosen cell surface protein acts as a sensor and tags proteins that encounter it so that they can be later identified by mass spectrometry.

Using EGFR, a receptor often hijacked by cancer, ecTurboID uncovered a new partner: LDLR, the receptor that normally imports cholesterol. Cancer cells are known to crave cholesterol, which is critical for building the fatty membrane surrounding the cell to fuel proliferation. The link between growth signalling and lipid uptake opens the door to new strategies to block tumour survival pathways through combination therapy, said Dr Al Mismar. Drugs targeting EGFR are already used in the clinic, but tumors often develop resistance. Blocking the partnership between EGFR and LDLR, might cut off a critical supply line for tumor survival. 

Beyond cancer, ecTurboID offers a powerful tool to explore cell surface interactions during viral infection or immune responses, said Dr. Al Mismar who described the approach in a paper published in Science Signalling. She added that receiving an award that recognizes innovation has been especially meaningful. “At the heart of why we do research is to provide new knowledge and new tools to push the field forward,” she said.

Dr. Sabine Cordes, a senior investigator at LTRI and chair of the selection committee, said, “We are deeply grateful to the Drucker and Reitman families for creating these awards that spotlight the remarkable achievements of our trainees. This year, Dr. Jeyakumar and Dr. Al Mismar exemplify the spirit of innovation through advancing equity in obesity care and uncovering new insights into cancer biology. Their work not only expands scientific understanding but also paves the way for better treatments and improved patient outcomes.”