Professor Paul J Thornalley

Paul J Thornalley (PhD Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK) is Executive Director, GloVitality Ltd (London, UK; glovitality.com), Executive Director, Glocentrica Ltd (West Midlands, UK; glocentrica.com) 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 – in which he is considered founding investigator. He recently developed the “Hexokinase-linked glycolytic overload and unscheduled glycolysis” hypothesis of hyperglycemia-induced impaired incretin effect and pathogenesis in insulin resistance, beta-cell glucotoxicity, type 2 diabetes and diabetic vascular complications. He also identified increased methylglyoxal as a major physiological activator of the unfolded protein response. He 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 585 research publications with over 46,000 citations; h-index 112 (Google Scholar) and in the top 1% of scientists globally by citation number (AD Scientific index)