Citation classic

David James is an internationally recognised expert in diabetes research. He has always been interested in the link between insulin signalling and glucose uptake into muscle and fat cells, a crucial step in the pathway to type 2 diabetes.

As a postdoctoral researcher with Paul Pilch at Boston University, and later with Mike Mueckler in St Louis, James identified and cloned the insulin-regulatable glucose transporter, GLUT4, which transports glucose from the blood into muscle and fat cells.

This work resulted in two Nature papers in quick succession (1988 and 1989), both of which are now citation classics (together cited over 1000 times). Since then, he has focused his attention on how insulin binding to its receptor at the membrane relates to increased glucose uptake. Along the way, he has identified several key steps in the insulin regulation of glucose transport, some of which are now major therapeutic targets in diabetes.

In 1999, James won the Glaxo Wellcome Medal in recognition of his significant scientific contributions. In 2006, the Australian Diabetes Society awarded James its highest accolade - the Kellion Award. Then, last year, he was made a Fellow of Australia's Academy of Sciences. In addition to being director of the diabetes and obesity program at the Garvan, James is an NHMRC senior principal research fellow.