Professor Svetlana Mojsov

Svetlana Mojsov was born in Skopje in Northern Macedonia on 8 December, 1947. She obtained her B.S in Physical Chemistry from the University of Belgrade in 1971, and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from The Rockefeller University in 1978. Mojsov studied solid phase peptide chemistry with Dr. R. B. Merrifield at Rockefeller University. In her thesis she reported the first solid phase synthesis of crystalline Glucagon. She remained in the Merrifield laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow from 1978-1981 and a research associate from 1981-1983. In 1983 she was appointed a Member of the Endocrine Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. In 1983 she was also appointed as an Associate in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Director of the HHMI peptide core facility. In 1990 she returned to Rockefeller University as an Assistant Professor and in 2002 she was promoted to Research Associate Professor.

In 1983 the sequence of the human pre-proglucagon gene was published, and Dr. Mojsov then postulated that the encoded polyprotein would be cleaved to produce a biologically active GLP-1 (7-37) peptide. This was a unique and critical insight. Starting 1983, as an independent Harvard and HHMI scientist, she synthesized the glucagon-like peptides that she predicted. She then developed analytical methods to separate the peptides and develop a radioimmunoassay for their detection.

Mojsov used these methods to detect GLP-1 (7-37) in the intestines of rats, establishing it as a candidate incretin and reported her results in a landmark JBC paper. She collaborated with Habener and Weir to show that GLP1 (7-37) elicited insulin secretion from the pancreas and with Nathans to show that it did so in humans suffering from type II diabetes. Her experiments established the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 (7-37) and led to co-inventorship with Joel Habener on patents on the use of GLP-1 for treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Her fundamental contributions have been recognized by the Vinfuture prize 2024; Pearl Meister Greengard award 2024; Time magazine 100 Most Influential People 2024; Tang prize 2024; Princess of Asturias Prize 2024; Lasker Award 2024; Warren Tri-annual prize 2025; Breakthrough Prize 2025; BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2025.