Professor Albert E. Renold

Albert Renold obtained his MD in 1947 and completed his thesis in 1948. He was a Professor of Medicine at Geneva University, Chief of the Division of Clinical Biochemistry, and Founding Director of the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry. He held several professional and research positions, including visiting professorships and consultancies, as well as about 15 years as a teacher and researcher at Harvard University Medical School in Boston, MA (USA). Numerous outstanding diabetes researchers were trained by Professor Renold both in Boston and Geneva. Professor Renold was the Founding Secretary of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD) from 1965-1970 and its President from 1974-1977, as well as the President of the International Diabetes Federation from 1979-1982 and Vice-President of the Swiss Academy for Medical Sciences.

Professor Renold was a leading authority in diabetes mellitus. He played a major role in advancing diabetes research in Europe and throughout the world. He developed animal models to study the physiology and pathophysiology of the pancreas and strived to gain insight into the abnormalities of human diabetes by defining the pathophysiological aspects of the disease peculiar to a given animal. These studies have since been used in diabetes research throughout the world, as for example, in research on oral hypoglycemic agents which presently form the basis for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. Professor Renold was also the first to demonstrate a direct action of insulin on adipose tissue in 1950. His work in this area extended to delineate the role of this tissue in the metabolic derangements in insulin-deficient diabetes and in obesity often associated with insulin abundance. The research led by Professor Renold over many years contributed significantly to our present understanding of the mechanisms of insulin activity and its effect on glucose and energy metabolism.

Professor Renold’s seminal studies on diabetes mellitus were published in more than 400 scientific papers in international journals. He published a series of articles in which he showed that the injections of homologous insulin elicited an inflammatory reaction in the pancreatic islets of injected animals. He also co-authored the volume on Adipose Tissue of the Handbook of Physiology and served on the editorial boards of seven international medical journals. His accomplishments were recognized by more than 10 prizes and medals.

In addition, he was elected as the chairman of several major scientific and medical societies and a member of about 15 others. Professor Renold was also the only foreign scientist elected to the Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.