Professor Paul J Thornalley

Paul J Thornalley (PhD Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK) is Executive Director, Glocentrica Ltd (West Midlands, UK) and Adjunct Professor, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar (based in the UK). He is a leading researcher in studies of the pathogenesis associated with hyperglycemia and also the reactive glucose-derived metabolite, methylglyoxal, and its metabolism by glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) of the glyoxalase system – particularly in the development of insulin resistance and vascular complication of diabetes in which he is considered founding investigator. He recently developed the “Hexokinase-linked glycolytic overload and unscheduled glycolysis” hypothesis of hyperglycemia-induced impairment of the impaired incretin effect in obesity and type 2 diabetes and pathogenesis in insulin resistance, beta-cell glucotoxicity and diabetic vascular complications and identified increased methylglyoxal as a major physiological activator of the unfolded protein response. He also originated the strategy for development of small molecule inducers of Glo1 expression or “Glo1 inducer” therapeutics for treatment of insulin resistance and microvascular complications of diabetes – proven effective in clinical trial. He has 580 research publications with over 44,000 citations; h-index 109 (Google Scholar). By citations, he is in the top 3% of scientists globally (AD Scientific Index).