Dr Jeffrey Friedman isolated leptin, an adipocyte hormone that regulates food intake and body weight in animals and human. Leptin mutations cause severe obesity and treatment with leptin corrects the obesity in these patients. Leptin is also an approved treatment for lipodystrophy, a severe metabolic disorder.
After completing medical school and internal medicine training, Dr Friedman entered The Rockefeller University graduate program and was awarded a PhD degree in 1986 prior to joining the Rockefeller Faculty. Friedman is currently a Professor at the Rockefeller University and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Dr. Friedman was elected to the National Academy of Science (2001) from which he received the Kovalenko Medal. He has received the Gairdner International Award (2005), Keio Medical Science Prize (2009), Shaw Prize (2009), the Lasker Basic Award, (2010) and an honorary degree from Yale University (2015), among others.
His current research laboratory is aimed at understanding the genetic basis of obesity in human and the neural mechanisms by which leptin regulates appetite.
Professional position
- Marilyn M Simpson Professor, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Rockefeller University
- Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
