Dr. Gordon Weir

Biography

Dr. Gordon Weir has dedicated his career to diabetes care and intensive research focused on beta-cell replacement therapy. His pivotal research aims to discover new sources of beta cells for diabetes treatment, particularly islet cells that produce insulin within the pancreas. His laboratory explores critical mechanisms affecting beta cells in diabetes, striving to enhance beta-cell transplantation procedures and protect transplanted cells from destruction. Weir's investigations employ gene expression microarrays to understand the unique functions of normally operating beta cells and the stressors of the diabetic state. He is also engaged in developing alternative insulin-producing cells due to the limited availability of human donor pancreases. Collaborating with peers, Weir promotes stem cell research and is part of initiatives to convert liver cells into beta cells. At Harvard Medical School, he leads the Clinical Islet Transplantation Program and has successfully conducted transplants for type 1 diabetes patients. Furthermore, his research team has innovated methods to protect islet cells during transplants through encapsulation and gene therapy. Weir is a prominent member of the Section on Islet Regenerative Biology and has held the Diabetes Research Wellness Foundation Chair at Joslin Diabetes Center since joining in 1984. Previously, he served as a Professor at the Medical College of Virginia.

Research Interests