Patrik Rorsman is leading research into pancreatic islet cells, which help to control the level of sugar in our blood by secreting the hormones insulin and glucagon. Patrik was one of the first researchers to apply the patch-clamp technique — used to study the function of ion channels — to these cells, and his findings have identified faults leading to type 2 diabetes.

The release of insulin and glucagon is triggered by the movement of electrically charged molecules, known as ions, into and out of islet cells. By studying this process in cells isolated from humans, Patrik was able to explain how it progresses under conditions similar to those in the body.

In addition, Patrik has a strong research interest in the link between obesity and diabetes. He was awarded the Minkowski Prize in 1996 for advancing knowledge of diabetes and the Göran Gustafsson Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science in 2003.