Carsten Schmitz-Peiffer

A/Prof Carsten Schmitz-Peiffer graduated from the University of Cambridge, UK, with honours in Natural Sciences and received a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol, UK. He was previously Head of the Insulin Signalling Group at the Garvan Institute, Sydney, as part of the Diabetes and Obesity Program, and is now a Principal Research Fellow at the Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney. He investigates mechanisms of lipid-induced insulin resistance, a key aspect of Type 2 Diabetes. His earlier work highlighted the importance of protein kinase C (PKC) and of ceramide, and more recently he has demonstrated diverse roles for PKC in different tissues such as skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and the hypothalamus. Current work addresses the mechanisms involved as well as the development of novel PKC inhibitors for the treatment of diabetes.