Ken Walder

Research overview

The Metabolic Research Unit conducts research into metabolic diseases, particularly obesity and type 2 diabetes. Our research is primarily focused on the discovery and validation of novel targets for metabolic diseases, including novel genes and proteins that are involved in the pathophysiology of these diseases, and novel compounds that may be useful in treating the diseases. This research utilises state of the art equipment and technologies, in combination with unique model systems and sample collections, to find new targets for these complex diseases. The novel targets are tested in in vitro and in vivo model systems to establish their importance in the disease process. These studies are funded by a range of academic (ARC, NH&MRC) and commercial sources.

Biography

Prof Walder received his PhD in Genetics from Deakin University in 1997, and accepted a Fogarty Fellowship from the US NIH to complete post-doctoral training in Phoenix, Arizona. He returned to Deakin in 2001 accepting a position as Deputy Director of the Metabolic Research Unit. Prof Walder has authored over 60 manuscripts in international peer-reviewed journals including high impact publications in Nature Genetics, Journal of Clinical Investigation and Diabetes. He is also named as an inventor on 23 patents that are in various stages of prosecution. A/Prof Walder reviews for a number of journals and grant funding bodies including NH&MRC, DART and MRC (UK). He has been invited to present at a number of national and international conferences including the MSD Diabetes Meeting, Sydney, October 2008, GTCbio 3rd Metabolic Diseases World Summit, San Diego, USA, November 2007, ASSO 15th Annual Scientific Meeting, Canberra, August 2007, 2nd International Congress on Prediabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome, Barcelona, Spain, April 2007, and the 2nd Scientific Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Diabetes and Obesity Study Group, Kyoto, Japan, August 2006.

View Professor Ken Walder's publications