Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Brown, MD, MHSc

Title: Understanding Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome through the Study of Rare Diseases. 

Format: Hybrid

Objectives:

• Explain how adipose tissue functions as both an energy-storage and endocrine organ, including the role of leptin in appetite regulation and metabolic adaptation.
• Compare the pathophysiology of lipodystrophy and obesity-associated metabolic syndrome, emphasizing how limited adipose storage capacity leads to ectopic fat deposition and metabolic disease.
• Differentiate pathway-selective from non-selective insulin resistance and describe how reduced versus excessive insulin signaling contributes to diabetes, dyslipidemia, fatty liver disease, and hyperandrogenism.